


Home is where the heart is

by JAM646



Category: Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: Don't Examine This Too Closely, F/M, Family Don't End in Blood, I Don't Even Know, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-28
Updated: 2019-03-01
Packaged: 2019-03-10 17:38:10
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 27
Words: 83,011
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13506501
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JAM646/pseuds/JAM646
Summary: Mic Carter has never been good with people. She prefers her solitude and her lab, especially after everything she has been through. So when Jaal ama Darav becomes a part of the crew, sharing a living space and evoking strange feelings during their interactions, she is lost. Oblivious at first, she doesn't notice Jaal's ever growing feelings for her, but when she realises her own feelings for Jaal, she panicks at the thought.





	1. Chapter 1

Brown-green eyes stared at the report of the first mission undertaken by the Pathfinder Alec Ryder. It did not look good and Mic found herself wincing as she realized what all of it meant. She let her head fall back, her dark hair, with the ashen white tips, following the movement, and closed her eyes.

_At least I don’t need to work with Alec Ryder anymore_ , she thought to herself.

She had never been fond of the man. He was cold towards his children and when he found out that she would be working on his ship instead of her mentor, he frowned and told her that he doubted she would be as useful. That statement had garnered a few pitiful looks from the rest of the people who were in the room at the time, but she knew he was right. She did not have the same talent as her mentor and he had had far more experience with alien life, be it plants, animals or microorganisms. There were probably many other people who would be just as skilled as she or even more so, but after her mentor died in the uprising, she was given a promotion and his position on the Tempest. There was no one else to fill the shoes and Alec Ryder had known that.

And Mic did not need to prove herself to anyone. She was in Andromeda, one of the scientists aboard the Tempest, the ship that was meant to make first contact with all life in Andromeda, and had already made a good impression on Suvi and Kallo.

Now, however, her friend, Sara Ryder, was the Pathfinder and Mic knew everything was going to be better on the ship. Sara was good with people and would work better with the crew currently on the ship. Only Cora would have a problem, but she would know her place. Mic had faith in her friend and as she had put her things in the tech lab of the ship, she felt that there was adventure waiting for her.

Mic’s head swung towards the door, barely able to hear Kallo walking towards the cargo bay since she had put her things down at the back of the room. She jumped up, starting to tie her hair up in a messy bun, the way she always did when anyone else was near her, knowing that Sara was on her way and there was no way that only Kallo would be greeting her friend aboard.

She jumped up from her chair and ran towards the cargo bay, arriving at the same time as Kallo and smiling slightly at him as he shook his head.

“Ryder will be close soon. I assume you will be giving her the tour, Mic?” Kallo asked her and she shook her head slightly, looking up at him, since she was shorter than him. She was shorter than most people, but not the shortest person in the Initiative, she'd checked.

“It would be hardly fair that a passenger give a tour while one of the engineers is right here,” she said pointing at him. “I will merely be close by to give extra info if needed.”

Kallo nodded and they waited for the ramp to open up, climbing down as it does and moving towards the Docking Bay. Mic stayed behind Kallo as he waved to Ryder and they started talking, him explaining the technical aspects of the ship. She can see that Sara does not understand completely, just enough to know how well the ship will function and that it is amazing.

When Kallo finally says, “Now, for the inside,” Sara turns to Mic and they give each other warm smiles.

Mic walks towards Sara with open arms and Sara rushes into the hug. Sara was fond of her dad, even if he wasn’t always kind to her, and Mic knows it. His death must still weigh heavy on her and she plans on giving her friend as much moral support as she is capable of.

“If we don’t get going, Kallo might die of old age,” Mic whispers to Sara when they had been standing like this for a while, Kallo waiting impatiently at the ramp. It results in Sara snorting and slapping Mic on the arm as she retreats from the hug and they walk towards Kallo.

Kallo’s tour is practical, not mentioning any of the jaw dropping features that Mic knows would lift Sara’s mood, and she plans on showing them later to Sara.

When the tour is complete and Sara had plotted a course and they were on their way, Mic pulled her arm and lead her towards the tech lab. Mic had planned on staying in the bio lab, since it was close to her field of expertise, but when Cora came on the ship, she took it and Mic moved to the tech lab. It had enough scans and containers to aid her in her work, so she hadn’t minded.

“Why are you staying here?” Sara asked as they entered it.

“I’m not fighting a powerful biotic for a room. This one would suit me just fine,” Mic said with a tinge of fear, which made Sara chuckle slightly. “Now, take a seat and tell me all. I am here,” she said as she sat down in a chair.

Sara plopped down into a chair and took a deep breath, tears close. She did not say anything for a while and Mic started to feel lost. Emotional support was not exactly her forte and she did not always understand what would be the proper response in such situations. She did not need to worry about it longer, because Sara started to cry.

“Mic... What am I going to do?” she blurted out, tears still streaming.

Mic had many answers, but kept them to herself. Instead she stood up and walked towards Sara, holding Sara’s head to her chest to let her cry, rubbing her back and comforting her. Sara had many tears and they stood like this for a long time.

When Sara has started to calm down a little bit, Mic took back her seat across from Sara and smiled ruefully. She would wait for her friend to begin.

“I’m a mess and they want me to lead my crew to inhabit new worlds? I lost my dad and poor Scott... Mic... What am I going to do?” She asked again, tears still coming.

“You do what you can and try your best. Anyone who bitches about it can come to me and I’ll set them straight,” Mic says with a serious face, which allows a laugh to erupt from Sara’s mouth. Mic smiles and grabs Sara’s hand. “More seriously though, I think all you can do is wing it. There is no training that could prepare anyone for this. There are too many variables that would influence your decisions and you are the only authority out there. As long as you stay true to your morals, everyone else can go suck it. You are in charge, so what are your orders?” Mic asks with a smile.

Sara smiles as well and wipes her tears away. “We have to go check on a facility on Eos, you heard what happened?”

“Enough to know that I’ll be on the ship, only taking samples from just outside the ship. Some of the Nexus scientists asked for samples of plant life and the atmosphere. Suvi also asked for something. I can’t remember what... Not the point. I’ll be right here if you need anything and you’ll be outside, fixing everyone else’s problems. Which will be many, but you’ll get it right. No worries.”

“You make it sound so simple.”

“That’s because it can be. Don’t let anyone intimidate you. Cora most of all. She’s your subordinate and don’t make her forget that.”

“That seems a bit hostile.”

“Not my intention. I mean be ... yourself, but don’t let them forget that you are in charge. Show some of that confidence that you have so much of and they’ll follow you.”

“And you? Will you follow me no matter what?” she asked with a smile.

“I’m your friend. I will follow you to the ends of the universe with only mild complaining,” Sara burst out laughing and Mic chuckled. “Right now, I think you need some rest and I need to prepare test tubes for samples. Go take a nap and a shower. SAM’ll wake you up when were close to Eos.”

Mic stood up and pointed towards the door. Sara chuckled. “Couldn’t you at least try to be polite to your only friend?”

Mic looked up to the ceiling, as if thinking, then shook her head, “If I treated you like I treated everyone else, you wouldn’t know that you were special to me. I mistreat you because I care,” Mic said, placing her hands on her heart.

“You’re a bitch,” Sara said as she stood up, both of them smiling, and then left Mic alone in her room.

* * *

 

Eos was... complicated, but they succeeded in establishing an outpost and Sara had brought a few new crew members on board the Tempest. Mic helped Peebee and Drack settle in. Peebee didn’t say much to her, calling her aloof and cold and then disappearing into the escape pod. Drack was nicer, treating her no different than he did Suvi and she was surprised when he took the kitchen over. She gave him a warm smile and then waited for the meeting to begin.

The meeting was difficult for Ryder. No one wanted to listen to her and it took a while for her to actually get to the point. Mic just calmly stood across from Ryder, giving her encouraging smiles when she glanced at her, not saying much. She had no idea why everyone was struggling so much with deciding where to go, but she knew not to say anything. Besides, she was only here to take scans and observe. She had little influence on the mission.

After the meeting, Ryder asked her to stay behind and she quietly acknowledged. When everyone left the meeting room, Ryder glanced nervously at her.

“How’d I do?” she asked.

Mic looked at the table and then back at her, “Not bad. You could have done much, much worse. Everyone is just getting used to you being in charge and they’re not sure what kind of leader you are yet. Give it time.”

Sara chuckled, ”You really think it went well?”

“I didn’t say well. I said ‘not bad’... You want me to be brutally honest?” Sara nodded. “All right. They do not respect you as much as they should. Peebee and Drack are not expected to respect you, since they do not conform to the authority of the Nexus. They’re like civilian contractors, so don’t expect too much respect for your authority. Also, Drack is older. Cora thinks you are not capable, therefore she will question you in future. Liam will follow, he sees you as a potential friend. Kallo, Suvi and Vetra will respect you. And I’m just a scientist. I don’t have much to say about the mission, so I will give advice when asked and continue with my work. Within time, I believe your crew will learn to respect you. Once again, give it time.”

“Wow... That’s ... pretty thorough... You really think they’ll respect me?”

“Yes. Be confident in your decisions and stand firm and they will.”

Sara stared into the distance, while Mic stared at her. They were quiet for a while, before Ryder nodded her head.

“I’ll try that. At least I have you to complain to when they don’t listen and at least you’ll listen.”

Mic smiles, “You mean you hope I’ll listen.”

The two of them laughed and then walked towards Mic’s room, discussing her mission on Eos. Mic was slightly jealous that she could not go with and Ryder promised to take her onto the next mission, if it was safe enough. When they were in the tech lab, they started to discuss more mundane things, like how soft the beds were, if Drack was planning on making them something and if it would be edible.

They were still talking when the ship shook and Ryder jumped up.

“Ryder, we need you on the bridge,” came Kallo’s voice.

* * *

 

They were on Aya and Mic couldn’t stop looking at the view from Ryder’s room. She came in here when Ryder told her that they were on an inhabited planet. Ryder gave Mic her code to activate the windows and she was now staring at Aya.

It was beautiful. Words felt insufficient as she stared at the city with its white walls and plant life and the contrast to the rest of the planet with its scorching earth. She was fascinated by the colours, the waterfalls and the architecture. It was hard to focus on just one of the many beauties of the planet.

“Mic, I’m on my way out. I think they would allow me to take someone with me. Wanna join?” Ryder asked as she entered the room.

“Don’t you think Cora or Liam would be a better choice?” Mic asked as she turned towards the door.

“Maybe, but... I’d rather have a trusted friend at my back.”

“They’re not going to like this,” Mic whispered in a singsong voice, running through the door, tying her hair up as she went towards the ramp.

She arrived just as the ramp opened up and could feel some of the other crewmembers’ eyes on her back. She took a few deep breaths and then turned towards Ryder.

“Ready for first contact?” Ryder asked her.

“Fuck no. I’m not supposed to be here with you,” Mic said, frowning and fidgeting with her necklace. It was made up of a few dog tags and Ryder had asked about it, only receiving a vague answer and a change of topic.

“Shut up. We’ll be fine. Didn’t you say that I had to stand firm in my decisions?”

“How dare you turn my own words against me?” Mic asked as they walked off the ramp.

Ryder smiled, but it disappeared as she lifted her hands up and Mic followed her example. They stood at the bottom of the ramp, while the aliens scanned them. Ryder thanked them while Mic received a notification on her omni tool.

_Probably informing me that I’ve been scanned,_ Mic thought as she let her hands down. She followed Ryder towards a crowd of people, one alien standing in front of the rest.

“I’m Paaran Shie, governor of Aya. We are the angara,” the alien said and Mic assumed it was female.

“Hello. I’m a Pathfinder with the Initiative. This is one of my scientists, Mic Carter.”

Mic gave a slight bow with her head as a greeting, which resulted in whispers among the angara crowd. The governor said something else to Ryder, but Mic was focused on the crowds moving to let one angara through.

“Jaal, I have this in hand.”

“Efvra saw the ship come in and sent me to find what’s going on.” The angara, that the governor called ‘Jaal’, said and Mic’s eyes grew slightly at the sight of his. They were strikingly blue and she wondered if it was normal amongst the angara.

The governor continued to explain why Ryder was here, only adding afterwards that Mic was a scientist, not saying her name.

“Aya is hidden, protected. What do you want?” Jaal asked Ryder, throwing a quick glance at Mic.

Ryder started to apologize and Mic was frowning slightly. “I apologize. Landing here the way we did, without warning, on fire, was not the plan.”

_That wasn’t really an answer to his question._

“That’s good to know. Because if it was, that would be a very bad plan,” Jaal answered with a smile, which Mic and Ryder returned, Mic’s smile being less emoted than Ryder’s. As he ascended the stairs he started to speak again, “I’ll inform Efvra. He’ll be waiting for you in his office at the Resistance Headquarters. I’ll meet you there.”

“I will accompany you through our city. Your crew will stay on your ship,” the governor looked directly at Mic, “Follow me.”

As the governor took a few steps into the city, Ryder turned to Mic, “I really wish they would allow you to come with me.”

“Can’t blame them for not wanting me to. Don’t worry, I’ll be waiting for you at the edge of the ramp.”

“That’s not on the ship,” Ryder answered with a raised brow.

“Technically, it is. Now run along. The governor doesn’t seem to be waiting for you.”

Ryder shook her head and smiled, before walking towards the governor, disappearing into the crowd.

Mic turned around swiftly, which made the armed angara around her lift their weapons in response. She stood still for a few seconds, staring up at them since they were much taller than she was, until the guards let their weapons down and then calmly walked back towards the ship, the angara staying close to her. She smiled slightly as she stepped on the ramp, turned around and leaned against one of the supports. The angara looked around at each other, their faces hidden inside their helmets, before turning back to her.

Neither Mic nor the guards moved from their positions for a long time, she just adjusted her weight every now and again, which resulted in the guards lifting their weapons slightly.

_No sudden movements, Mic. Face neutral and do not stare at things too long. You’re not here to take samples, just here to support your friend that disappeared into an alien city. No biggie._

Later, Mic could see Ryder and the angara with a duffle bag walking towards the docks and the guards surrounding the ship turned and left. She let out a breath and watched as Ryder spoke to the angara. They only exchanged a few words before walking straight towards the ship. Ryder waved at her and she waved back, smiling to see her friend still in one piece.

Ryder stopped in front of her, “You really waited at the edge of the ramp.”

“I said I would, didn’t I?” Mic replied as she moved towards Ryder.

Ryder smiled and then looked towards the angara with her. “Jaal, this is one of my science officers, Mic Carter. Mic, this is Jaal ama Darav. He will be joining us on the Tempest.”

“A pleasure to meet you,” Mic said as she gave him a slight bow of the head, accompanied with a small smile.

“Likewise. Ryder tells me the ship looks even better on the inside.”

Mic’s smile grew, “It most certainly does.”

“I’m going to call a meeting. Will you show Jaal the basics till the meeting begins?” Ryder asks as she runs up the ramp, not waiting for a reply.

Mic stares at her as she disappears into the ship and then turns towards the angara, “Apologies for the Pathfinder. She has many responsibilities. Shall we?” she gestures towards the ship.

“Yes, please.”

Mic walks alongside Jaal up the ramp and starts to show him the lower deck. He is fascinated by all the technology, especially the Nomad, and Mic tries her best to answer the few questions he has. The ship takes off in the meantime and Jaal’s eyes grow big as they ascend into the air. Mic reassures him that the ship has just left the docks and he calms down. Before they can get past the Nomad, Mic gets a notification on her omni tool.

_Meeting ready. Get Jaal here, please_.

“Duty calls, Mister ama Darav. Please follow me. You can leave your bag here,” Mic points next to the Nomad before she leads him towards the lift and then through the rest of the ship towards the meeting. He takes a seat as the other’s file in and Mic takes her place at the other end of the table. Ryder comes and talks to Jaal for a moment before the meeting begins. When the meeting begins, it mostly consists of the crew bickering.

Mic calmly listens to most of them, not saying anything. When Jaal begins to talk and explains how the fight between the kett and the angara began, she listens intently, switching on her recording device in order to take notes later. She smiles at Ryder during the meeting, reassuring her and she can see that Ryder appreciates it.

At the end of the meeting, everyone leaves the room except for Jaal and Mic. She takes place next to him, giving him a small smile.

“Now that business has been taken care of, shall we continue the tour?”

“Are all of your people this formal?”

“No. I am considered more ... formal than the rest. Even when I’m not meeting a new species.”

Jaal gives a slight frown and then nods his head. “I would like to see the rest of the ship. What was its name again? Tempers?”

Mic chuckles slightly, “Tempest. Don’t let Kallo hear you call it anything else. He helped to design and build it. So if you have specific questions about how the ship functions, it would be best to ask him.”

“Ah, thank you.”

She leads him through the ship and introduces him formally to most of the crew. They are all friendly towards him and he smiles at all of the introductions. When Mic has shown him everything that the ship has to offer, they come to a halt in front of the bio lab, Cora having been their last introduction.

“I see everyone has a room. Where shall I be sleeping?”

“That depends on your preferences, but since all of the rooms on the ship has been taken, I’m afraid that you would have to share a room with someone. So you would have to choose a roommate as well.”

“Mmm. I do not wish to offend anyone when I take over their living space. Any advice?”

Mic stares at the ground for a moment, thinking at all of the possibilities, “I would suggest Liam or Cora. Liam is friendly and would gladly share his room with you. Cora has spent most of her life living with aliens, so she will not have a problem sharing.”

“What about the tech lab? You stay there, don’t you? Do you not wish me to intrude?” Jaal asks her.

Mic frowns a little and then walks towards her room, the door slides open when she reaches it and Jaal looks in. “I have no problem sharing a room with anyone. I have had to share a bunker with a lot of people in the past. It is just that I have found that people do not like sharing a room with me.”

“And why is that?”

“I do not talk at all and that can be unnerving to some people. I am ... difficult to interact with, since I do not show what I am thinking, which is also unnerving to people, but if you want to stay here and you do not want to share with me, I can always find another spot.”

Jaal walks into the tech lab, inspecting the area, while Mic stays at the door. He walks around for a while, before turning towards Mic. “I would like to stay here, if that is all right.”

“Sure. Do you want me to take my things?” Mic asks as she walks towards the back of the room, where she has set up most of her things.

“That will not be necessary. I am used to living with many people.”

“All right then. I’ll go get your bag. Feel free to move my things to make space for yours,” Mic says as she leaves the room.


	2. Chapter 2

Later, when Jaal had settled in, Mic was busy with a report of Aya. Her omni tool had picked up a few things from the atmosphere and the few plants they crossed had been catalogued. Ryder had come in and asked Jaal a few questions, surprised that he was sharing a room with Mic, before leaving. The two of them didn’t talk and Mic was grateful. She was not fond of small talk.

Jaal had taken up the first part of the room, while Mic stayed at the back. She only had a desk and her working stations, where she could dissect plants and animals or look at microbes, and she slept with the rest of the crew in the bunkers. Only Jaal would be sleeping in the tech lab, which made Mic a little envious. She had been planning on sleeping in the tech lab until she was better acquainted with the rest of the crew, but she knew that Jaal would need some privacy to adapt to his new environment. He hadn’t brought any blankets or a pillow, so Mic had given him hers. The Tempest bunkers came with their own, so she wouldn’t need them anymore.

He was grateful, if a little skeptical and had scanned the makeshift bed when he thought she wasn’t looking. Mic only smirked at the idea and continued with her report.

It was while she was finishing up on this report that Jaal emerged next to her. She jumped slightly when she noticed him, her eyes growing wide.

“My apologies, I did not mean to frighten you.”

“No harm done. What can I help you with?” she asked, suddenly realizing that he might have a problem with her writing a report on his planet’s atmosphere and plant life.

“I was wondering if you could tell me how long it will be before we reach Havarl?”

“Uhm... I’m not sure,” she looked at the time on her laptop and saw that two hours had passed. “Probably another hour or so. SAM, could you tell us how long till we reach Havarl?” she asked towards the ceiling.

“Fourty seven minutes, Mic.”

“Thank you, SAM.”

“You’re welcome, Mic.”

She smiled at Jaal as he frowned at the ceiling, “Anything else?”

“Yes. What was that?” Mic fell silent, unsure whether she should divulge that SAM was an AI or just lie and say that he was a VI. She opted for the VI. “SAM is a sort of virtual assistant to Sara. I must admit that I’m not entirely sure what to classify him as. If you want more info, you would have to ask Sara. He is practically in her head.” She hoped that he would not ask her too much questions about SAM.

“I see... Am I allowed to ask this SAM questions regarding our mission? Like time of arrival and where we are headed or where to find the rest of the crew?”

“I cannot see why there would be a problem with you asking SAM questions. I would just not ask him questions about human culture or anything specific like that.”

“Why not? Are you hiding something?”

Mic smiled, “We’re not hiding something. It’s just that SAM cannot answer certain questions about culture that a human would be able to. Questions like what was it like living on the Citadel? What is Earth like? How do humans treat each other? Things that require experience and not plain knowledge.”

“Ah. I see.” Jaal was quiet as he contemplated her answer.

“Is there anything else?” she asked again.

“What should I call this SAM?”

“Just SAM. That is his name.”

“Ah. And what about the crew? What should I call them?”

“You mean like are you allowed to use their names to refer to them?” He nodded. “I’m not sure. Everyone has unique tastes in how they wish to be called. Sara would be Ryder or Pathfinder and anyone else that has a title and introduces themselves by their title would probably like to be called by their title. You would have to ask each of them. Or just assume and wait for them to correct you.”

Why do you call the Pathfinder on her first name?”

“We’ve been friends since before we came to Andromeda. I’ve known her longer than most of the people on the ship. So I am sort of entitled to call her on her name, but again, you should ask her what her preference is.”

“I see. What should I call you?”

“Mic. What would you prefer I call you?”

“Jaal.”

“All right then. Is there anything else I can help you with or answer for you, Jaal?”

“No thank you. I have taken enough of your time.”

“It is not a problem. I’m not so busy at this moment and please feel free to ask me anything in future. I will be here.”

Jaal gave her a thankful nod, before returning to his table. Mic stood up and walked towards the microscope. She had a small container, the equivalent of a petri dish, open while they were on Aya and had it incubated. Right now, she was watching the cells on the container grow and so far, nothing sinister had sprouted. She gave a sigh of relief. Lexi had scanned Sara and Mic when they came back on the ship to ensure they were not carrying any diseases, but Mic liked to do more tests on the bugs that were drifting around on Aya.

Jaal looked up from his table when he saw her bending over to look into the incubator at eye level. He lifted an eyebrow and wondered why his new roommate was smiling. She only ever smiled politely, but now there was a genuine smile on her face.

“What are you smiling at?”

“Hmm?” Mic looked up from the incubator, her smile fading slightly. “Oh, I’m just watching microbes growing and realized that these are microbes from another galaxy and somehow they are so similar to those in the Milky Way.” She looked back at the microbes and her smile grew again.

“Where are they from?” Mic froze, wondering if it was a good idea to be honest with him.

_Can’t build trust without some honesty_ , she thought to herself and stood up straight.

“They’re from Aya. They collected in a container while I was waiting on the ramp.”

Jaal’s body became slightly more rigid than he was before and he was frowning profusely. “Why did you collect samples form Aya?”

“I wanted to see if there were any harmful microbes floating around. I don’t want to infect one of the people from my galaxy because I was curious to see Aya’s waterfalls.”

Jaal relaxed a little bit, before replying, “Just don’t take samples again without asking for permission first.”

“I was planning on doing that, but you refused to let me go further onto Aya and I doubted that the guards that were keeping me company would have allowed me. However, in future I will ask permission first, although we will scan a planet before we even step off of the ship to ensure one of us won’t die by stepping out.”

Jaal nodded his head, before returning to working on his rifle again. Mic released the breath that she was holding, glad that he didn’t make a bigger issue out of it. She turned towards the microbes again, seeing a strange growth. The incubator sent information to her laptop as soon as it stopped analyzing the sample, so she turned around and immediately opened the analysis. So far, there was not much information. For a few minutes she fidgeted with her necklace, waiting for the analyses.

A notification popped up on her laptop, some twenty minutes later, and she read through the information. After reading the analysis on the new growth and determining which species it would affect the most, Mic froze and read through it again. It did not look good.

She send a copy of the data to her omni tool, waited for it to notify her that it had completed the copy and then jumped up and rushed out of the room. Jaal frowned as she ran past him, worry written on her face.

She rushed towards the med bay and impatiently waited for the door to open. Lexi greeted her at the door, but upon seeing her worried state, she ushered Mic in and locked the door behind her.

“What is wrong? Did something happen with Jaal?” Lexi asked with concern.

Mic was confused, “What? Oh, no. This has nothing to do with him at all. This is about the sample I took of the air on Aya. I just got this analysis, and even though it still needs some testing, I think it might cause a lot of problems in future. I just need your opinion on it and some advice of how to proceed.”

Mic send her the data and Lexi started reading it. When she finished, she seemed slightly concerned.

“This could pose a problem, in future. For now, we should add this to our list of microbes to be destroyed in the sterilization process, after you have done some more tests on it. Agreed?”

“Agreed. Thank you, doctor. I will begin tests immediately.”

“Warn Jaal before you begin.”

“Will do.”

Mic rushed towards the tech lab and when she entered it, Jaal turned around abruptly, making a screw fly through the air. She continued into the room, picked up the screw and placed it on his table, without so much as a glance and then rushed towards the incubator. She took the sample out and placed it on the table. From under the table, she procured a box with tools to isolate the microbe with and packed them out.

“Is something the matter?” Jaal asked right behind her.

She jumped again and stared at him, “Sorry, I’m not used to people being so quiet around me. It’s a small problem. I just need to isolate a growth for further study.”

“Is it harmful to your species?”

“Mine? No. One of the species from the Milky Way? Potentially. Tests will show.” She turned around and continued to work on it. When she heard Jaal shuffle behind her she turned towards him again. “I’m sorry if I’m being rude, it’s just that this is important and needs my full attention.”

“No need to apologise. I understand.” He walked back towards his table, watching Mic work on the sample.

* * *

 

By the time they landed on Havarl, Mic’s growth had been partially isolated and SAM’s announcement that they had landed, startled her.

“Fuck,” she whispered, but soon realized that Jaal was not in the tech lab anymore. She grabbed her pistol, with its holster, and strapped it on. Then she made her way through the ship towards the ramp. Sara, Jaal and Cora was waiting for the ramp to open and Mic stopped right behind Sara, slightly out of breath.

“What are you doing here?” Sara asked her.

Mic gave her a small smile, “After the introductions, I was hoping to ask the lead scientist if I could take samples of plant life and microbes in a fifty meter radius of our ship. Just to determine their threat level to the Milky Way galaxy’s species.”

Jaal gave a knowing smile, before turning towards the open ramp.

“Okay, but try to be polite.”

“Then maybe I shouldn’t be the one asking...” Mic whispered, loud enough for only Sara to hear, which resulted in a snicker from Sara and a smile from Mic.

Cora frowned at the two of them, wondering what Mic had said, while Mic just gave her an innocent smile. Cora shook her head and then turned towards the open ramp.

When the ramp was open, Mic was frozen on the spot by the sight of the planet. The different hues of blues, purples and greens was amazing and she was mesmerized by the different, almost bioluminescent plants.

The rest of the group was continuing down the ramp and she had to force herself to take her gaze from the breathtaking sights and follow them, but she continued to stare at everything. Cora and Sara were also staring, but they were not as lost as Mic. She had never seen anything like it and a genuine smile grew on her face.

Jaal turned once to make sure she was not scurrying off, only to find her smiling like a child. He smiled as well and wondered for a moment how different their worlds must be to the ones in the Milky Way for Mic, who he has noticed did not display true amazement at much, to display such wonder at her surroundings. He stopped for a moment for Mic to catch up to him and then fell in step next to her.

“Are you enjoying the sights?”

Mic whipped her head around and she felt slightly embarrassed that he had caught her staring as much as she did. He saw the blush form on her cheeks and wondered what it meant.

“Why are you blushing?” he asked her.

The blush grew a bit more on her face before she turned to him, “I don’t usually get caught off guard like this, but this planet... Havarl. It is ... mesmerizing.”

“It is. I wonder what it must look like to someone like you.”

“Meaning?”

“Someone who has never been here before or seen pictures of what it looks like. Most angara know what Havarl looks like and have visited it many times, but you are new to the entire galaxy. How do you see it?”

He was hoping for her to give away something about their intentions with his home planet, but her answer was earnest, “I see a planet with amazing diversity and somehow it’s all the same. My mind immediately wonders what the ancestor of all these plants had to look like to result in,“ she gestures to the planet, ”this. What trait was lost over eons to ensure survival in a certain environment that could be helpful now? What caused the pigmentation of the plants? What disasters had struck that resulted in a new species being formed? Why is there a huge glowing mushroom?” Mic smiled and walked towards the mushroom, her arms outstretched.

Jaal watched her approach the mushroom, her back towards him and it seemed like she was touching it. “If you get any fungal slime on your skin, I suggest you wash it off immediately,” he said with some panic in his voice.

Mic turned around and he could see that she was merely scanning the mushroom. “Why?”

“The slime causes... great discomfort.”

Mic nodded her head, but as she looked at the plant again, Jaal could swear that he heard her whisper, “Sweet...” in an excited tone.

He shook his head and started to walk towards Sara and Cora, who had stopped to call after Mic.

She looked up and he could see in her stature that she was not eager to leave the mushroom alone, but she gave it a strange look, pointed at it as if to order it to stay and then followed them.

“First ask for permission, then take the shrooms,” Sara said, with a strange emphasis on ‘shrooms’, when they had caught up and this made Mic chuckle and shake her head.

Jaal frowned at them, wondering what they meant, but he had no time to ponder, as they entered the building where the researchers were stationed.

During the introductions Mic kept herself to the back, trying her best not to look too uncomfortable under the stares of all of the angarans around them. Most of them were focused on Sara, but a few stared at her strangely, their eyes scrutinizing the pistol at her hip. When they saw it, most of them usually checked for something, which Mic assumed must be their own weapons.

After Ryder had promised to look for their scientists, she turned towards Mic and beckoned her closer. Mic stepped forward and looked up at the angaran scientist. She had not entirely been paying attention to all that was said, instead trying to figure out what one of the displays were saying, and hadn’t caught the angaran’s name. She panicked for a moment, before reverting back to her scientist stance.

“This is one of my science officers, Mic Carter. She specializes in microorganisms and xenobiology.”

“It is a pleasure to meet you,” Mic gave a slight bow.

“Jaal, it seems that most of them are formal,” the angara said to Jaal.

“This one is.”

Mic looked at Jaal, lifting her eyebrow slightly, which resulted in stares from most of the angarans around her.

_Goddamn, I’m going to have to get used to being stared at like I’m a freak. I am one, but still..._

“My people tend to be formal in situations where we wish to not offend, to show respect to our hosts or to impress. But there are exceptions. I tend to be naturally formal towards strangers.”

“To impress?” the angaran asks.

“Yes. We are formal towards our superiors to impress them with our ... calm and calculated demeanor. Even if we are not.”

“That seems dishonest.”

“It can be, but I do not wish to be dishonest. I wish to treat every stranger I meet equally. And I adapt to how they treat me.”

Jaal and the angaran shared a look, while Sara and Cora stared at her, seeming slightly annoyed.

“What?” she whispered towards Sara.

“Are you trying to show off?” Sara whispered back.

Mic frowned, then opened her mouth to protest, but quickly closed it, took a breath and straightened herself, “No. I was trying to be informative.”

‘Don’t’ Sara mouthed and Mic nodded her head.

"I am getting ahead of myself. I only came here to ask a favor of you. I wish to scan plantlife, wildlife and the environment in a 20 meter radius of our ship. I would also like to take small samples of some of the plantlife and the microbes in the environment to analyse their threat to the Milky Way galaxy’s species. If you like, an angaran scientist can accompany me to ensure that I do not damage the environment unnecessarily.” Mic lowers her head at the end, waiting for the angaran to reply to her demands.

“I am surprised you went through the trouble to ask this of me. Why would you ask for permission?”

“To build a trust with your scientists so that one day we can work in unison and, primarily, because it would be rude of me not to and I do not wish to be rude.”

The angaran looks at Jaal and he smiles and nods slightly. Mic keeps her face neutral while Sara frowns at her.

“I will allow it and I will be sending one of my scientists with you in order to protect you.”

Mic opens her mouth to assure them that she can take care of herself, but quickly closes her mouth and bows her head, “I appreciate it, thank you. I will be waiting outside for your scientist.” She then gives the angaran another bow of her head and turns around to leave.

In the background, she can hear Sara also saying goodbye to the angaran and then racing out towards Mic.

“That went really well.”

“Don’t sound so surprised. I know how to be polite... ish,” she leans against the outside wall of the compound and sighing heavily. “I was still rude, right?” Sara nods her head and then brings her fingers up to indicate that she was only a little bit rude. “Just a little bit? That’s good. How long will you be out?”

“No idea, why?”

“I wanna know how much time I have to take samples. I have a big area to cover.”

“Weren’t you planning on asking for more area to cover?”

Mic nods her head and stares at the Tempest, “I was, but realized on my way out that there is dense plant growth around here, so I won’t be able to do my job well enough in such an area and that maybe fifty meters was too much to ask for. I’m grateful that they actually gave me what I asked for.”

“I’m surprised they did. I think your brutal honesty won them over, even if you were holding back.”

Mic chuckles and then hears Jaal calling for Sara, “Get going, Pathfinder. You have work to do and so do I.”

Ryder scrounged her nose up and then gave her a small hug before running into the compound again. Mic walked towards the railing and leaned on it to stare at Havarl. It was dark outside and the little bit of light that shone from the plants and the compound gave it a mysterious glow, which Mic adored.

Behind her, Jaal was staring at her as Sara walked past him, wondering what strange things she was thinking about. When the doors closed, he, rather reluctantly, turned to leave with Ryder.

* * *

 

For a long time, Mic waited outside for her angaran escort to walk with her, wondering how they were deciding who would be left with the alien. In that time, she fought the urge to scan the things around her, knowing that she was not in the twenty meter radius of the Tempest. When she turned around, she saw a security camera looking at her and gave a sigh of relief that she did not scan anything.

By that time, the doors opened again and an angaran female walked out. She turned towards Mic, seeming slightly hostile.

“Let’s go, human.” Is all she said as she walked towards the Tempest. Mic walked behind her, trying her best to keep up with the taller angara. It was always times like these that she wished she was taller. As she contemplated her stature, she saw the angara slow down to stare at the ship. Mic imagined that she looked the same way when she stared at their planet and could not help but smile at the angara. The angara looked at her and then at the ship. “Do you need to fetch something from your ship or have you already set up your things?”

“I need a few containers to collect my plant samples and microbes from the environment. If you would just wait here a moment while I collect them from the ship.”

The angara nodded her head slowly and Mic rushed up the ramp. She ran to her room, grabbed a few containers and threw them in a duffle bag and then ran back outside. Kallo stopped her right before she left the ramp.

“I don’t want the angara scanning my ship.”

“I can’t exactly stop them and besides, they need to be sure that we do not have weapons that would harm them.”

“We do have weapons on the ship that could harm them.”

“Yes, but they’re not active. They’ll be able to figure that out. Have a little faith in them, Kallo or they won’t have faith in us.” She gave his shoulder a reassuring squeeze and then walked off the ship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so second chapter I wanted to add a little bit of dimension to my story, that's why in future you'll be seeing a lot of discussions about Mic's work and how she runs around and does stuff.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed it :)


	3. Chapter 3

Mic had put her containers outside of the ship, not too far off from the ramp. The angara was watching her closely, but Mic didn’t mind. It wasn’t the first time she had been scrutinized while collecting samples. During her practical training, she always had a supervisor hovering over her every move and this didn’t feel any different.

When she had sorted out her containers she stood up and started working on her omni tool to set up a perimeter, so that she won’t wander too far and anger the angara. The angara watched her closely and she made sure not to hide what she was doing.

After the perimeter was set, she started to walk around, scanning the environment around her.

“What are you doing? Aren’t you supposed to be taking samples?” the angara asked, folding her arms.

Mic was surprised that the angaran body language seemed to be similar to the human one, but shook her head to answer, “I first want to determine which plants are most abundant. I will only be taking samples from them, since I cannot collect all of the plant life in Andromeda.” The angara nodded her head in understanding and Mic continued, the angara following her closely.

For almost an hour, she was walking around, scanning and inspecting the different plants. The larger animals were not making an appearance, so she focused on the smaller ones present, noting the colourful bird-like creatures flying around. The angara had relaxed in this time, looking out more for dangerous animals than Mic, which made Mic grateful. The air was tense enough with the fear of animals attacking to worry too much about an angry angara.

When she had finished scanning the area, she run the data through a program that would give her a list of the plants and animals present. It took a few minutes and when it finished, Mic picked up a container and walked towards the first plant.

She continued collecting samples, but while cutting off a small piece of a leaf, she heard a strange rustling sound behind her. The angara was not behind her and she realized that she had not seen her in a while. She quickly closed the lid of her container and threw it on her pile before she heard a scream coming from her left.

Branches were tearing at her long sleeves as she rushed towards the sound. It took her only a few moments to find the source and was shocked for a moment to see five kett, with the angaran female being dragged by her feet. They had not seen her and she jumped behind a large plant. She drew her pistol from its holster and aimed at the first kett.

The first shot rang and a kett fell. The others turned around to look for her, but a second shot rang and another one fell. The remaining kett drew their weapons and shot in her general direction, but Mic had dropped to the ground and was still taking them out.

The entire scuffle did not last longer than ten minutes and Mic stood up and walked towards the angara, scanning the environment for any signs of the kett. She found none as she stood over the angara and then knelt down to look directly at the angara, holstering her pistol.

“Are you hurt?” the angara just stared at her in shock. “Are you hurt?” she asked again, with a little more earnest. The angara shook her head, but Mic could see blood forming on the angara’s arm. It didn’t seem fatal, so she grabbed her arm and helped her up. The angara stared at her as Mic settled her on her left side and started walking towards the compound.

They hadn’t walked far, when a large karkyn came rushing out of the underbrush, ready to strike. Mic drew her pistol and shot it three times, putting her pistol away and continuing to walk. The angara was silent, except for her quick breaths and Mic was watching her every move and stealing glances at her face to determine if she was injured or losing too much blood.

It did not take them long to reach the compound and Mic basically punched the button to open the doors. The angara on the inside were startled by her entry, but quickly they jumped into action when they saw the angara’s pale face. They took her off Mic’s hands and rushed with her to another room. The lead scientist saw this and came rushing towards Mic.

“What happened?”

“I was not paying attention while collecting samples and I think she went to investigate the area, but I noticed she was missing after a while and then heard a shout and I rushed towards it. There were five kett dragging her off into the forest and I took them out and then brought her here. Is she injured?” Mic asked with real concern.

The scientist stared at her and Mic could not place the emotion behind it, but it quickly faded, “I am not sure. We will know in a few moments.”

They did not wait long before someone came out of the room, “She is fine. Just a few scrapes and bruises.”

Mic could hear a collective sigh of relief coming from all present in the compound. The lead scientist turned towards her and grabbed her by the shoulders. Mic wondered if they were not very strict with their personal space. “You saved her? Why would you save someone you barely know?”

Mic was surprised that they even believed her report and was not sure what to do. “I was ... Uhm ... We were responsible for each other ... I guess.”

“But you do not know her?”

“No, I don’t ...”

“You have done something remarkable.”

“I have?” Mic noticed the other angara walking towards her and felt like she was pushed into a corner. They all lifted their arms and she grew concerned, but realized moments later that she would be fine. They all embraced each other, with her in the middle of the group hug. Mic was confused and unsure of herself, since she was very uncomfortable with touch from strangers, but she realized that to pull away from this embrace, would offend the angara greatly, so she just stood there and hugged the lead scientist back.

A low hum went through the room as she took part in the group hug, but as quick as it had come to pass, it ended and they all stared at her. She smiled unsurely and looked at the lead scientist.

“You have helped one of us as if she was one of yours and therefore you will be respected by the angara here. We thank you.” Another low hum of electricity went through the room and Mic could feel her skin tingling by their emotion. It was overwhelming for her to receive such gratitude from anyone and she tried to fold into herself. The angara then started to thank her one by one and she bowed her head in acceptance, not knowing what else to do.

From one of the doors, a group of angara came in and they were watching the whole event take place with skepticism. One of them, however, recognized the angara lying in the room and went rushing in. Mic’s translator could not pick up what they were saying, but she assumed that they had to be close for him to hold onto her like that.

The rest continued to thank her and one of them even brought her a warm drink, that smelled similar to tea. She took it with a grateful smile and took a sip from it, smiling at the warmth and calm it caused in her.

“Thank you for saving my sister,” an angara female said and Mic bowed her head again, hoping that it would be enough, but the angara hugged her tightly. Mic returned the hug, hoping that she did not seem too confused by all the emotion and acceptance that they showed her.

The angara that had rushed into the other room, came out with a big smile and charged at Mic. Her eyes grew big as he laughed loudly and then cried, before embracing her as well and crying into her shoulder.

“You have saved my Taoshay. I am forever in your debt.”

“You are not in my debt... ” Mic was praying, even if she wasn’t religious, that she was saying the right things and not offending these people who were so grateful to her.

The angara did not seem to notice her discomfort as she was hugged again.

 

* * *

 

This went on for a while and by the time it had died down, Mic had found out almost everything there was to know about Vela, the angara she had saved. Vela had even given her a grateful smile when Mic went in to see how she was and was not showing any hostility towards her anymore.

Mic had to smile her way through all of the thanks that continued to come her way and Vela’s sister did not leave her side, making sure that Mic’s cup of ... whatever it was, was never empty.

By the time Ryder came back, Mic was in the midst of a group of angara, listening to a joke and smiling as she realized what the punchline was probably going to be, still laughing when it came though.

Ryder stared in awe at the scene in front of her and Jaal seemed confused.

“Jaal,” Kiiran, the lead scientist Mic had learned, called and Jaal walked towards her, Ryder and Cora following close behind.

“What has happened, Kiiran?” Jaal asked.

“Mic has done something remarkable.”

“She has?” Ryder asked. Mic gave her a look of indignation, but said nothing.

“Vela has told us all about how heroic Mic was. To think that one of the scientists are this adept ... well, it seems that your people are very talented, Pathfinder.”

“We can be.”

“What has she done?” Jaal asked.

“Mic rescued Vela from being kidnapped by the kett.”

Jaal and Ryder’s eyes grew as they stared at Mic being towered over by the angara around her and was confused for a moment. Ryder then rushed towards Mic, “You saw kett?”

“Yes.”

“And you...?”

“Shot them while they were dragging Vela into the forest.”

“Holy shit,” Sara whispered and then smiled at Mic. “Well done.”

“Thank you?”

Sara chuckled as she saw the panic in Mic’s eyes and realized that Mic had been bombarded with emotion, something she could not deal with well. Jaal came forward as well and bowed his head, noticing how uncomfortable she seemed.

“Congratulations on taking out the kett.”

“It was only a few. I don’t really deserve all this praise.”

The room fell silent.

“You do not think what you did was good?” One of the angara asked.

“I ... Uhm... It’s not that...”

“What Mic is trying to say is that she feels undeserved of your acceptance. That and she does not know how it feels to be praised.”

“You do not praise your people when they do well?” Kiiran asked, shocked.

“We do, but she has never before received such great appraisal for something she feels is her duty.”

“Is this true?” Kiiran asked Mic.

Mic gave Sara’s hand a grateful squeeze and nodded her head, “Yes. I am not one for the spotlight and all this attention is strange to me.”

“You deserve to be praised.” Came a voice from the back and Ryder laughed.

“They are right. You have done something great, Mic. Well done.” Sara gave her a hug and cheers went around.

 

* * *

 

Much later, the angara said their goodbyes to Mic, giving her a lot of data from the planet when they heard that her samples were still lying in the forest somewhere. Some of them even went to fetch it for her and left it at the ramp. Vela gave her a small potted plant, which had a beautiful flower and Mic thanked her profusely for it.

They walked with them to the Tempest and waved goodbye to Mic, before dispersing.

Mic gave a sigh of relief when the ramp closed and Sara dragged her towards her room. Closing the door behind Mic, Sara turned her around and smiled.

“What does it feel like to be a hero?”

“It’s unnerving. What do I do with all that gratitude? How do I appropriately thank them and not seem like an ass?”

Sara laughed, while Mic stared at the little flower in her hands.

“You took it well enough. You know, for you. You did great and now we can go to Voeld to save their Moshae.”

“Don’t you still have a lot of things to do on Havarl?”

“Yes, but they’re not as urgent as saving the Moshae. I think their people will understand and considering the great connections you made, I think we’re on track to becoming allies with the angara. Great job.”

Sara gave Mic another hug, but Mic shoved her away, “First finish things on Havarl. It will be better if _you_ build a stronger relationship with the angara on Havarl. Then they will allow you to help with the Moshae. And besides, I got my quota for affection for the next month. My skin is still tingling from the bioelectricity.”

“Ooh, what does it feel like?”

Mic stared at her, “Like when you have a slight electric current running through your body. Except it feels ... happy.”

“Happy?” Sara asked with a raised brow.

“Shut up. And go do stuff on Havarl,” Sara nodded her head and Mic walked towards the door, but turned around before she opened it, “It feels happy because it’s like they can commune their emotions through their bioelectricity, okay? Now let me go be alone.”

Sara laughed as Mic exited her room and walked towards the tech lab.

For a moment, she had forgotten that she shared a room with Jaal, but she realized that nowhere on the ship would be private enough for her to be alone, so she shrugged her shoulders and walked towards her desk, giving Jaal a slight nod when he looked at her.

She put the plant down next to her screen and noticed at that moment that she felt extremely sticky. SO she walked out of the room and towards the showers. Taking her robe from the closet, she walked towards the shower and stripped, jumping into the water when it came streaming down. It did not take her long to clean, before she climbed out of the shower and dressed in the crew quarters.

She tied her hair up again and dressed in her usual long sleeves and trousers, before putting on her comfy boots and making her way back to the tech lab.

Upon entering the tech lab, she could hear Sara and Jaal talking. It sounded like Jaal told her more about his people so she turned around to leave.

“No need to leave, Mic. I think you might find this interesting as well, if you’re okay with sharing with Mic, Jaal?” Sara said as she saw Mic trying to leave.

“Why not? We are sharing a room.”

Sara smiled mischievously and Mic gave her an icy look, realizing that Sara had thought dirty for a moment.

“Thank you,” Mic simply said as she entered and stood next to Sara.

She listened silently to Jaal’s explanation of why the Moshae was important, how it felt living under kett occupation, what his people were like and how their fight with the kett began. Mic did not ask anything during the conversation and when it ended, she smiled at Jaal’s greeting towards Sara, before Sara left the room.

“Do you also have more questions?” Jaal asked her after the door closed behind Sara.

“Not really no.” Jaal raised a brow and Mic realized he wanted an explanation. “I don’t like to pry when I know that people don’t really want to share too much. I would like to listen to the information you share with Sara, but I will not ask more of you until we are better acquainted.”

“How will we get better acquainted if we do not pry?”

Mic turned her head and nodded, “Good point, but I don’t really have many questions right now.”

Jaal nodded his head and Mic turned to go to her desk, but Jaal lifted his hand. _“I_ do have questions, however.”

Mic groaned internally, but looking into his beautiful eyes, she felt like she could sacrifice her silence for him, “Sure,” and leaned against his table.

“Why did you save Vela?”

Mic was thrown off for a moment, but answered quickly, “To be honest, it was not something I thought about. I noticed she was missing, heard her scream and went to her. I saw the kett, got rid of them and got her to safety. There was no debating with myself whether it was a good idea or what the results would be of my actions. It just ... happened.”

Jaal stared at her in awe and said after a few moments of silence, “That is remarkable.”

“It is?”

“Yes. You did not think of the dangers, just did as you felt. The angara will not forget you for this.”

Mic was blushing and looked away from him, having no clue what to say, so she blurted out, ”Anything else you wanted to ask?”

Jaal stared at her and smiled at her discomfort, “Why do you shy away from praise and affection?”

“It’s just the way I am with strangers. I ... just don’t know how to react to them, since I do not know them well and I don’t want to offend them or something. I don’t know how to explain that I just ... can’t ... figure out how to deal with other people.” She sighs and looks at the floor, not wanting to stare at the stars in his eyes.

Jaal listens to her without saying a word and then nods his head. “Do you know whether we will be staying on Havarl any longer?”

_Oh God, I could kiss this cat for changing the subject._

“I’m not sure. I told Sara that I think we should, but she hasn’t told me her plans.”

“I see.”

“Let me ask SAM. SAM, are we staying on Havarl or leaving for Voeld?”

“The Pathfinder has decided to stay for the moment. She asked Cora and Vetra to go with her to see about the turians.”

“What turians?”

“There has been sightings of turians in the area. Kiiran Dals told Sara while you were saying goodbye to the angara.”

“Oh, thanks SAM.”

“You’re welcome, Mic.”

Mic turns to Jaal and smiles slightly, “Anything else you want to ask?”

“Yes, did you get the samples you wanted?” Jaal asks with smirk.

Mic smiles more broadly this time, “Enough to keep me busy for the time being.”

“What will you be doing with the samples?”

“Analysing their components and noting anything of interest about them. Most of the tests will be done on the Nexus, so I don’t need to do any in depth analysis of the samples.”

“I see. I won’t keep you from your work.”

Mic nodded her head in thanks and stood up to walk towards her desk.


	4. Chapter 4

For a few weeks, Sara is constantly busy on Havarl, getting the turians on a ship to the Nexus, fighting Roekaar and Kett, trying to stop Havarl’s decline and searching for lost data for Kiiran. Mic spends her time analyzing the biology of the planet, visiting Vela and the angara regularly. To her great surprise, she actually makes friends with some of them and helps them with their data when they ask her to. By the time Sara had solved most of Havarl’s problems, Mic had established a great relationship with the angara and some of the crew of the Tempest.

Jaal and Mic had even started talking more. Jaal had become used to asking her first about things he was unsure about and one morning she had even hastily helped him put the coffee machine back together when he had taken it apart. She had giggled at the scattered pieces of the machine and then told him that if they didn’t get it working before Drack woke up, they would die painfully. Jaal had learned not to mess with the coffee machine again.

A few days later, while sitting in the tech lab, Mic messing around with one of her samples and Jaal tinkering away at something, they got a call from Sara.

‘ _Mic, Jaal, will you two join me in the meeting room_?’ Sara’s voice came over the intercom.

“Sure,” Mic replied after looking in Jaal’s direction and receiving a nod from him.

‘ _Thanks_.’

They stood up at the same time and walked towards the door, Jaal waiting for her, and then making their way up the stairs.

Upon reaching the meeting room, Mic took her place on the one couch, out of sight of the comms to give Sara moral support when she was being chewed out by the Initiative’s leaders or holding a meeting with her crew. This time, she could see that Sara was nervous as she paced in front of the table. Sara immediately rushed towards Mic when she saw her and grabbed her hands.

“We’re going to call Evfra and ask for his permission in helping with the rescue of the Moshae.”

“We?” Mic asked.

“Jaal and I. I just need you t...”

“Sit here and look pretty.”

Sara chuckled, some of the nervousness seeping out of her and then nodded her head. “That is exactly what I need you to do.”

Jaal was smiling in the background, staring at Mic’s mouth as a smile erupted on her face. “I promise nothing.”

Sara chuckled again and walked towards the table, Jaal’s eyes lingering a moment longer on Mic, before he turned to the table as well.

Mic sat in the background and listened to the discussion between Evfra and Sara, wondering why he was so bitter. She listened intently on how he sarcastically talked about Sara’s good work on Havarl and rolled her eyes. His continued discussion about how they planned on rescuing the Moshae was not particularly interesting to Mic, mostly because she had nothing to do with it.

When Evfra mentioned something about their processors being too slow to hack into something, Mic saw Sara turning her head as if to listen to someone. Her eyes grew and she turned her gaze to Mic. Mic had a feeling that SAM had said something, maybe even offered to help, so she silently mouthed ‘Trust SAM. Honest to,’ and pointed towards Evfra. Sara nodded her head, just barely so that Evfra couldn’t see, and then told Evfra about SAM.

Evfra was surprised at her honesty and Sara’s mouth turned up slightly when she quickly looked at Mic. He accepted her help and gave Sara permission to join the effort to save the Moshae, but before he said his goodbye, he surprised all of them.

“One last thing. I would like to speak to the one that saved Vela.”

Sara and Mic’s eyes grew, while Jaal just smiled knowingly.

“Uhm... Sure.” Sara motioned to Mic and Mic stood up shakingly. She was not prepared to talk to the Commander of the Resistance, but when she came into view of Evfra, no one would have been able to tell that she was nervous.

Evfra stared at her skeptically and turned to look at Jaal, “Is this really the one who saved Vela?”

“Yes, she is,” Jaal said, with a hint of pride in his voice.

“She’s so ... Never mind. I would like to thank you personally for saving my cousin from the kett. That was a brave thing to do.”

“I would gladly do it again for any of the angara,” Mic said, trying to make herself sound sincere and giving a genuine small smile.

“That is good to hear. You have earned my respect and my trust. Stay strong and clear. Goodbye.”

And then he was just gone. Mic stared at where he was a moment ago and looked at Jaal. Jaal also seemed slightly surprised as he looked back at her.

“The two of you have gained Evfra’s trust. No easy feat.”

“Yeah, but at a price,” Sara interjected.

Mic barely heard the rest of their conversation, she was too absorbed by the thought that Evfra, the man Sara had told her all about, would thank her and then that he would declare that she earned his trust and respect. She was flabbergasted and wondered if it was a good thing that Evfra knew her name and face now.

In the background she heard the story of Akksul, but she did not think much of it. It wasn’t like she had any involvement in Sara’s missions.

While Jaal and Sara were still discussing Akksul, Mic walked back to the tech lab, not hearing the last part of their conversation.

 

* * *

 

 

It was only later, when Jaal came into the tech lab, that Mic was released from her trance and she realized that she still had one plant sample to analyse. Jaal grabbed his rifle and stood at his desk, looking at Mic, who had started to type something on her laptop.

“Mic?”

“Yeah?” Mic asked, being jolted from her train of thought by Jaal’s voice.

“I was wondering if I could share something with you?”

“If you feel like you can, then why not?” Mic said while turning her chair to face him.

Jaal walked closer and only stopped when he was mere inches away from her. Mic realized how big he was in that moment, but she did not feel threatened by him. Patiently, she waited for him to begin.

“My cousins have joined the Roekaar,” Jaal proclaimed flatly.

“What?” Mic asked, real concern in her voice. She had learned that the angara valued their family almost more than they valued life and this news was troubling to her. It would be bad for her if they were against her very existence.

_Why would it be so bad for_ me _?_ She asked herself, while waiting for Jaal to continue.

“Akksul has poisoned their mind with lies and my mothers had asked me to get them home safely. Sara has agreed to help me and we are on our way to find more information about Akksul’s whereabouts. I just ... wanted to tell someone else.”

“Well, I hope you find your cousins quickly. Sara would be able to convince them that not all aliens are bad.”

“You would too,” Jaal said, turning his head slightly and moving closer.

“I doubt that. Remember what I’m like with strangers?” Jaal chuckled and took a step back.

“Yes, I suppose you would not make the best first impression.”

Mic opened her mouth and then, in exaggerated movements, she brought her hand to her chest, “I am insulted. I am a joy to meet.” She couldn’t keep her laugh in though and started to giggle.

Jaal was confused for a moment, but realised that she was messing with him, so he shook his head, while chuckling softly. He saw her hiding her face by turning her head down and shaking with laughter before returning and staring up at him with her brown-green eyes. He found her eyes beautiful and it was rare for him to see them glinting with laughter. He had to admit that she was cute when she laughed truly.

“I’m a disgrace. You should be going. No time to waste,” Mic said while turning back towards her laptop.

For a fleeting moment, Jaal felt like he was ripped from a dream, but recovered quickly, nodded his head and left the room.

 

* * *

 

Jaal was sitting with Lexi, feeling slightly out of place in the med bay. Lexi could see his discomfort and tried to calm him down by offering some coffee. She had seen that he had taken a liking to the drink, after he and Mic came back with the coffee machine one morning. He gladly took the mug from her and took a sip, indulging in the strange aroma.

“What do you want to talk about, Jaal?” Lexi asked, taking her own cup of cocoa.

Jaal fidgeted on the seat across from Lexi, before taking a breath and saying, “I ... I had to say goodbye to a good soul. She did not need to die, but she embraced it gladly. I fear that my cousins might do the same.”

“Your cousins that are part of the Roekaar?” Jaal nodded. “I see,” Lexi took another sip from her cocoa, “It is understandable that you fear for their lives, we all fear for the safety of our loved ones when there is a real threat to their lives. But it is important to know that, for the moment, they are safe and you are doing your best to ensure their safety. There is unfortunately not more that you could do right now to protect them, so you have to have faith that they will survive until you get to them and get them home. For now, you should seek out the moral support of your friends and family and talk to them, not just me, about your fears. I understand that your family is not close by, but the Tempest crew is here to support you. I believe Liam, Ryder and Mic would gladly support you through this time.”

“Mic?” Jaal asked with a raised brow.

Lexi gave a knowing smile, “She is not the best at giving emotional support, but she will listen to all your fears and stay with you as long as you need. And since the two of you are sharing a space, it would be a good idea to start with her. She is not as distant as she seems once you open up to her.”

Jaal took a moment to think about this, finishing his coffee in silence with Lexi. When the mug was empty, he thanked Lexi for her advice and left the med bay. He hoped that Mic would indeed listen as Lexi said she would.

 

* * *

 

They were on their way to the Nexus. Mic had started to pack her samples in a larger container, making sure her labels were accurate. The growth that she found on Aya was placed right next to her flower, while she cleaned her pistol.

Jaal had not come to the tech lab after going on the last mission on Havarl, which made Mic slightly worried, but she assumed that if something really bad happened to him, Sara would have let her know.

_And why would she? It’s not like you and Jaal are great friends_ , she told herself, taking her pistol apart.

She nodded to herself, as the pistol came apart in her hands and a fastener fell on the floor, rolling to the back of the room, nestling behind one of her other large containers.

“Fuuuuuuck,” Mic whispered and then dove down to find the fastener, not hearing Jaal enter the tech lab. She scrambled to the back, trying to get the fastener that rolled into the little space between the container and the wall when she dropped on the ground. “Come here, you little shit.”

Jaal’s eyes grew as he saw her scrambling around on the floor, his gaze falling on her behind. He was amazed at how well shaped it was and wondered how it would feel in his hands. For a moment he was shocked at his thoughts, but she moved again and he realized that it was nothing to be ashamed of. He could admire her, she was worthy of it. He moved closer to her, watching her trying to get ... whatever it was she was after.

“Okay, first off, fuck you and second ... why didn’t I just move this? I’m a moron,” Mic slapped against the big container.

“Do you need help?” Jaal asked right behind her.

Mic yelped and lifted her head, where it connected with the table. She groaned in pain and bend over again, head in her hands.

_Oh, you are in such an undignified position right now.... Fuck it, he would have found out you were weird sooner or later._

Mic turned around to look at Jaal, a pained expression on her face fading when she saw that he had knelt right next to her, reaching out to help her, his hands frozen in the air.

“Yes, please move this big shit a smidge so that I could get to the little shit.”

Jaal frowned and Mic stared back at him, ”What’s a smidge?”

Mic chuckled slightly, her hand still on her head, “It means a little bit. It isn’t a quantified unit, just enough for a purpose. In this case, enough so that I can get my hand back there to get the fastener for my pistol.”

“Ah, I see. I will move it a smidge,” Jaal said with a strange lilt to the word and Mic smiled at him in amusement.

“Thank you.” She bend down towards the back of the container and waited for Jaal. He quickly pulled the container out and she reached for the fastener. She grabbed it and brought it out triumphantly, while Jaal moved the container back. “Gotcha,” she whispered to it and Jaal chuckled at her. “What?”

“Why do you talk to it? It’s not like you could communicate.”

“It’s not about ... It’s just,” Mic sighed. “This is one of those human things that just came to be. We talk to inanimate things, hoping that they would cooperate. We know it doesn’t work, but ... It’s kind of fun. Especially when you need to take your emotions out on something. I’ve had many an argument with my lamps.”

Jaal stared at her, slightly frightened. “It seems as if your people are insane.”

“We do seem that way. I believe that is the only reason the other species thinks we are valuable. We’re unpredictable and would try the impossible because nothing is really stopping us. Just our thoughts,” she stared at the fastener and smiled.

“Your people just became frightening.”

Mic chuckled, seeming pleased with the idea and then moved out from under the table. Jaal moved back as well and she stood up before he could offer her his hand. He was slightly disappointed that he could not touch her, but the thought immediately left him.

“Now, I can continue cleaning my gun.” Mic sat down in her chair again, her pistol sprawled out on her desk.

“Is it normal for your scientists to carry weapons?”

“Yours do, don’t they?”

“Yes, but we are at war.”

“And we have to be prepared for a war.” Mic looked at him as she wiped her barrel clean. She saw his eyes narrow and he seemed suspicious, so she felt the need to reassure him that they are not planning to attack his people, ”It is better to have a weapon and never use it, than having no weapon and always needing one.”

Jaal’s eyes grew again and a smile grew on his face, “Wise words.”

“They are. My father always said something similar. I only found this version when I was much older,” she said with a coldness to her voice.

Jaal watched her closely, “Is your father here as well?”

Mic took a breath, while grabbing the next part of the pistol, “No.”

“And the rest of your family?”

Mic shook her head.

“You must miss them,” he said, staring at her closely.

Mic pursed her lips, but said nothing. Jaal frowned, wondering if humans did not value their families as much as angara did.

“Do you need anything?” Mic asked when she noticed that he had not moved from her side after a short silence. She tried her best not to sound annoyed, since she wasn’t really, but she didn’t want to share her family history with him.

“I... I wanted to ... talk. Lexi suggested that I talk to you, since we are so close,” Mic frowned in confusion, wondering if he was perceiving them closer than she was, which he noticed, “Not as friends, but ... we live so close. Share a space.”

“Oh,” Mic answered, realizing his meaning, “What do you want to talk about?” she asked as she swiveled her chair and looked up at him.

Jaal looked around to find a chair, but the closest one was his own desk chair, which was on the other side of the room. He didn’t want to walk all that way, so instead he leaned against her table. Mic didn’t look away, but was concerned that he was fidgeting a bit.

“You know that my cousins joined the Roekaar?” Mic nodded, her face showing her concern and slight confusion, “We have talked to one of Akksul’s people, but she killed herself before we could ask her where Akksul was,” Mic’s eyes grew, but she kept silent, “It was ... unpleasant to see someone put themselves through such pain to not betray Akksul and to escape the kett. I’m ... worried that my cousins would do the same and waste their lives for such an unworthy cause. It would devastate my mothers, my whole family ... and other families could experience the same pain. I’m ... at a loss. I do not know what to do.” Jaal stared at the ground, his face clearly showing his worry and pain.

Mic stared at him, entirely unsure of what to tell him.

_He’s asking you for your advice, dumbass. And we don’t fucking know what to answer. Wing this shit._

Jaal was still staring at the floor, when Mic reached up hesitantly and put her hand on his arm. She could feel his bioelectricity slightly through the clothes, but it was much different than the scientists on Havarl’s. It was warmer and, for a brief moment, it felt like she was home. She ignored the feeling, assuming that Jaal was thinking of his home. Jaal stared at her hand and then at her, seeing her pursed lips and brows contorted in concern.

“I know what it feels like to be concerned for your family’s safety. It is not a pleasant feeling... And you should try your best to make sure that nothing bad happens to them. But you shouldn’t ... blame yourself for what happens to them...” Mic wasn’t looking directly at him, but rather at her hand on his arm, and she was breathing shallowly, panic close. She realized that she was gripping his arm and let go and figured that her last words might not have been the best ending, “But they are safe _now_ and ... you and Ryder could ... save them and ... get them to safety and ... get them back on the right track,” she stared at the wall next to Jaal, but brought her eyes back to his, trying her best to give him a reassuring smile, staring at his shocked face.

Jaal had heard her words, but it did not fully nestle in his mind. He was too distracted by her presence and her touch. For the brief moment that she touched him, he could sense her essence and felt the depth of her soul. He realized what it meant and that made his heart race.

He stared at her eyes now, seeing for the first time how green they really were and the way that they could glisten with emotion. Her lips were red and the smile that was there, was fading. Jaal yearned for it to light her face up again. He leaned forward, his mouth parting as a deep hum went through him and he ached to feel the softness of her lips on his. A small upturn of his lips emerged when he imagined how his hands would contrast with the pale complexion of her skin. His hands were tingling with an urge to touch her and run his fingers through her hair, suddenly wondering what her hair even felt like.

Mic stared into the deep pools of Jaal’s eyes, wondering for a moment why they suddenly seemed to be even more blue and beautiful than when she first saw them. Her eyes wandered over his face, marveling at the magnificent colours of his skin, imagining touching it and wondering if it was soft or coarse. A deep hum was engulfing her and her lips parted as her gaze fell on his lips and wondered what they would feel like.

Her eyes grew suddenly at the realization of her thoughts and she dismissed them as she shook her head, focusing on the problem at hand and, unknowingly breaking the trance that they were both under. The hum disappeared as she looked up again and asked, “Did I say something wrong?”

Jaal stared at her, his heart racing as he realized what just happened. Her worried expression brought him back to solid ground, however and he shook his head, “No. You didn’t ... Your words were comforting,” he said and turned around, leaving the tech lab.

Mic felt conflicted, wondering if she was imagining things.

_You didn’t sleep well last night and we haven’t really eaten much today,_ Mic noticed and nodded her head, thinking that that was what it was. So she stood up and left the tech lab as well, making her way to the kitchen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For this story I'm taking a lot of inspiration from LadySpaceRadio's work 'Fire and Glass'. It's an amazing story with a lot of hidden meanings behind every characters movement. I just love the story and the way she writes the whole concept of angara being able to detect their soul mates... Yes that is what Jaal felt at the end...  
> So don't be surprised when I write about things that aren't entirely canon, it just comes from her.


	5. Chapter 5

Mic was stepping out onto the Nexus, soaking up the artificial sunlight and smiling at the sounds that she knew so well. She was holding a small container, shaking her head at the size of it when Drack dropped it in her hands.

“I’ve seen what you’re up to. You don’t have the strength to carry all of it. Let the newbie help you,” Drack told her when he saw her trying to pick up a large container with most of the samples that she took on Eos and Havarl.

Drack was one of the few people on the ship that noticed that she slept less than everyone else, waking up before most of the crew and only getting to bed long after the rest were already asleep. She wandered the ship at night, looking for a small nook to spend some alone time in, when Jaal wasn’t up yet or had went to bed. He had also force fed her a few times when she skipped meals to finish up on analyses. Never in front of the rest, just subtly asking her to help him with something and then letting her taste his food.

She was grateful for him and saw him as the grandfather she never had, smiling as he told her stories when he found her somewhere on the ship and when she asked over breakfast. He took a protective position over Mic and Sara, giving the rest of the crew the stink eye when they were trying to overstep their boundaries and he saw their discomfort.

Drack and Mic had even discussed effective tactics against the kett, going into a slight disagreement when Mic called for a stealth approach and Drack opted for a frontal assault. It only ended when Mic suggested they did both. Stealth to weaken them and then overpowering them with might.

Now she was carrying only the small container, while Jaal was carrying the large one behind her. Since their little talk a few days ago, Jaal had started to stand closer to her when they were in the same room, which made her slightly uncomfortable, but she wrote it off as angara not being familiar with certain personal boundaries.

Mic made her way to Doctor Camden, the scientist that had asked her to bring back plant samples and scans, Jaal walking close behind. She got many strange glances and wondered if it would bother Jaal that people were staring. He was still close behind her, so she slacked off to walk next to him.

“Feeling out of place?” she asked him, staring at the people.

“Yes. Did you and Ryder feel the same way when you came to Aya?”

Mic pursed her lips, “Not exactly. You were pointing guns at us,” she says with a bit of amusement in her voice.

“Oh, yeah. That must have been terrifying,” he replied with concern, looking down at Mic.

When Mic looked up at him, she realized that their height difference might be making this scene stranger and laughed internally, before answering, “I’ve had guns in my face before. And I wasn’t expecting anything less from your people.”

“Really?”

“It was logical that you would point guns at us to ensure the safety of your people. When dealing with an unknown, it is better to be prepared for the worst.”

“Is it that easy to determine what we think?”

“No. It just makes sense. Your people are much different than the other species I have encountered. I am not always sure how not to offend your people. I easily offend people,” Mic seemed slightly embarrassed by that statement, which made Jaal slightly annoyed.

“You do not need to apologize for who you are. If they cannot see past your curtness, then they are not worthy of your time,” he said, lifting his head in conviction and Mic stared at him.

He confidently walked towards one of the merchants, while Mic stared after him, only then realizing that he was going the wrong way.

“Jaal!” He turned around to look at her. She gestured her head towards Hydroponics and smiled. Jaal’s face fell in embarrassment and he quickly shuffled towards her.

“Your ship is confusing.”

“It’s a space station. And it would be best if you just followed me from now on.” Jaal nodded his head profusely, making Mic giggle and continue towards Hydroponics.

It did not take her long to find Doctor Camden, since he was impatiently pacing in front of the plants. He rushed towards her when he saw her, staring at the container she was holding with hope.

“Doctor Camden. It is good to see you again,” Mic said with a cool demeanor.

“And you as well, Doctor Carter. Have you brought us something good?” Doctor Camden asked excitedly.

“Nothing toxic for cultivation. A few of them are suitable for production of food and some other interesting products. My reports describe some of the plants’ unique characteristics and I have labeled them according to their use. You will find the seeds at the top.”

“You have done a marvelous job, Doctor Carter,” he put his hand on her shoulder and she immediately flinched. He seemed shocked at first, but then slowly took his hand away, “My apologies, Doctor, I forget you do not like touch.” He clenched and released his fingers quickly in addition to his words and Mic frowned slightly at him.

Jaal was confused. He had noticed that Mic did not touch many people, but it did not seem to be such a big problem when she was talking to everyone else, even the angara on Havarl.

“Let me introduce you to our emissary aboard the Tempest for the angara people, Jaal ama Darav. Jaal, this is Doctor Camden, in charge of plant cultivation and most things regarding plants on the Nexus.”

Jaal walked forwards, surprised at her very cold tone towards one of her fellow people.

“A pleasure to meet you, Doctor Camden. I believe these are for you then?” Jaal handed him the large container.

“Yes, thank you.” Doctor Camden forgot about their presence, immediately setting the container down and opening it, squealing slightly at the sight of the seeds in their containers.

“Doctor...” Mic drawled, her tone implying something.

Doctor Camden stared at her and then at Jaal. “My apologies, Mr. ama Darav. I did not mean to offend you. I was just excited at the prospect of cultivating plants from a new galaxy.”

“I understand, Doctor,” Jaal answered politely.

“If you would excuse us, Doctor. I still need to take scans and samples to the other researchers and I’m sure you are eager to investigate your plants.”

“Yes I am. Thank you again, Doctor Carter.”

Mic gave a slight bow of her head and then turned around again, making her way towards the stairs which led to the microbiology lab on the second floor. She had turned icy again and Jaal was concerned, wishing to see her smile.

“Is something wrong?” he asked her as they walked up the stairs, Mic still holding the small container while Jaal grabbed the other, smaller container that rested on top.

“Huh? No. Nothing’s wrong,” she quickly rambled.

“Are you sure? You seemed very ... cold towards Doctor Camden.”

Mic stopped on the stairs, her feet on separate stairs, Jaal mimicking her stance.

“He called me incompetent when he heard I was going to take the samples for the Tempest. Then he shouted at Sara when she told him she would not be taking samples for him, not giving her the chance to explain that I would be taking most of the samples, which he already knew. Now suddenly I’m worth being called on my title? Just because I did the job I was tasked to do?” She let go of the container with her one hand, clenching it close to her face, “It irks me.” Then she continued up the stairs.

Jaal followed her, a new thought forming in his mind. “Why did you not introduce yourself as Doctor Carter when you met my people?”

Mic smiled, shrugging her shoulders slightly, “I am Mic Carter, before I am Doctor Carter. And I haven’t been a Doctor for long. Technically.” She drifts off as they reach one of the labs, frowning now. Abruptly, she turned around and walked down the stairs again.

Jaal was very confused and thought for a moment that Mic might have gotten lost, but he had heard that she had spent months on the Nexus, so that was unlikely.

“What is the matter? Do you not wish to see the other scientists?” he asked, pointing with the small container in the direction of the labs.

Mic turned to him, eyeing the small container, “That thing is why I am turning around. It is unfair to you that you have to lug my things around and I have many things to discuss with my fellow scientists. Which means that you would be without an escort on the Nexus, and I cannot, with good conscience, leave you outside a lab. Sara had arranged a pass for you so that you can access the Cultural Centre. You would be better entertained there than following me around.” She added with a smile.

Jaal returned her smile, lowering his head, “It _is_ entertaining to follow you around, Mic.”

Mic felt a blush coming on when she noticed his sincere tone, with a slight hint of something more behind his words, something that she could not place, but which made her warm.

She looked down and said, “As entertaining as I am, I do believe that you are here to learn about our people and convey that knowledge to yours. We both have duties that await us.”

Jaal slumped slightly, but nodded his head and gestured for her to continue. She bowed her head again and walked towards the Cultural Centre.

They made it to the Centre without any incident and Mic stopped right outside the doors. She turned to Jaal, giving him a small smile. He returned it, staring into her eyes and sighing. They stood there for a moment, Jaal admiring her face and Mic waiting for him to give her the small container.

After realizing that he does not understand why she is waiting, she cleared her throat and pointed with her head towards his hand, which was holding the container. Jaal looked at his hand and then made a noise of understanding.

“Of course. You will be needing this.”

“Yes, please. We do not want people to know that you are holding something dangerous. Might give them the wrong idea,” she winked and his eyes grew.

He gently put the container on top of the other, opening his hands in a sort of show of surrender and then smiled when Mic chuckled.

“We wouldn’t want that,“ he admitted.

They smiled at each other, not having much to say, but not wanting to leave each other either. Mic was the first to step away, smiling up at him.

“I’ll find you here if you want to walk back to the Tempest together.”

“I would ... appreciate that,” Jaal said unsurely.

“Okay. See you later then,” Mic bowed her head and walked back towards the stairs, not looking back and seeing Jaal’s gaze stay on her.

She did not go far, before an asari stopped her. Mic knew her face. It was the reporter and she groaned internally.

“Did I hear you right when you said that the angara was holding a dangerous weapon?”

“No,” Mic said flatly. She had to ensure that this situation didn’t cause widespread panic on the station and that Jaal wasn’t blamed for something that wasn’t his fault. “I never said that the emissary for the angaran people was holding a weapon. He was merely carrying this container for me, which holds growths from microbes and a sample of fungal slime, which causes rashes and could result in allergic reactions in some people. Nothing more dangerous than the microbes floating around in the atmosphere of the Nexus.” She kept her face neutral, not displaying her annoyance. “What you heard was banter between species, trying to find common ground with humour. The angara pose no threat to us and we should not pose one for them. If you will excuse me, I have a scientist that is eager to dissect the microbes in this container. Good day,” Mic said with a bow of her head, hoping with everything in her that she did not say something stupid that would result in a catastrophe between the angara and the Milky Way species.

She walked away swiftly from the reporter, hearing the asari say something about having gained intel on relations with the angara, hoping that she did not take Mic’s words the wrong way.

 

* * *

 

Much later, Mic was making her way back to the Cultural Centre. Keri, the reporter, was nowhere to be seen and she was grateful.

For the past few hours, she had discussed the microbe from Aya with the other microbiologists, determining its effectiveness against the immune system of the quarians and trying to determine the different treatments that they would be able to produce against the microorganisms.

It was difficult work, since their systems weren’t fully functioning yet and they still needed to do lots of tests, but they had made progress. Mic couldn’t help them a lot with this work, since she would be busy with other samples and left them to deliver her scans to the geologists and the scans of the planets to one of the other scientists. It was not a lot, but she knew that this data would be valuable to them, to let them feel productive again and not waiting impatiently for release from their boredom. She smiled at their thanks and then gave a sigh of relief when she knew that she was done for the moment.

So she went to look for Jaal, having received a notification from Sara that they would be leaving for Voeld in a few hours. She had expected him to still be inside the Cultural Centre, but he was outside on a bench, looking at the people around him. Mic noticed how he bows his head at the people passing him by, similar to what she does when she greets people and they reciprocate the movement, wondering if it is an angaran greeting.

He does not notice when she stands next to the bench, watching him staring at the people. A small smile erupts from her lips and for a moment she wonders why she finds him so ... alluring, but the thought evaporates when he turns to look at her.

“I had half expected you to already be on the ship,” she told him, putting the large, empty containers on the ground.

“I was waiting for you,” he replies with a soft voice, as if the words conveyed more meaning than he led on.

Mic stares at him and then smiles shyly, “You didn’t need to. I would have ended up on the ship eventually. If another scientist or reporter didn’t ambush me with questions along the way,” she adds with a hint of annoyance to her words.

Jaal frowns and opens his mouth to say something, when Keri appears out of nowhere from across Mic and waves at her.

“Doctor Carter. How nice to see you again,” Keri half shouts, still a while away.

Mic groans with annoyance, keeping her face neutral and knowing that she was not going to get out of this one. Jaal’s gaze drifted between the two of them and wondered how the strange blue woman had insulted Mic to have her close off again.

“Keri, do you wish to speak to our angaran emissary?” Mic asks when Keri stops in front of them.

Keri seems surprised for a moment and then gives her reporter smile, “You got me. Hi, I’m Keri, reporter for the Nexus, here to document all of the adventures of the Tempest and its crew.” Keri shoots a hand out towards Jaal.

Jaal stares at the hand as he stands up, glancing at Mic as she, very subtly, clasps her hands together and shakes them. He understands her meaning and does as she did, surprising the reporter with his baritone voice, “And I am Jaal ama Darav. Emissary aboard the Tempest. A pleasure to meet you,” giving her a small, warm smile.

“Oh, you are a delight. Would you mind if I asked you some questions?” Jaal turned to look at Mic and she just shrugged her shoulders. “Oh, are you two...?” Keri asked, her eyebrows lifting, conveying a message that Jaal did not entirely understand, but which Mic immediately caught.

“Roommates. We work in the same lab,” Mic answered, her face emotionless.

Jaal was surprised that Mic could hide her emotions this well, since she did not do so with any of the Tempest crew. One could always see hints of her emotions, especially if she was concentrating on something.

“Oh,” Keri voiced with slight disappointment, but a sly smile grew on her face, “Do you leave such things for the Pathfinder to ‘discover’?”

Mic closed her eyes for a second, taking a short breath, before opening them again and releasing the smallest smile, “The Pathfinder and our emissary is building a strong _friendship_ aboard the Tempest. His insights regarding Andromeda is valuable to us all. We are all grateful to have him on board with us. Liam Kosta has even taken it upon himself to exchange colloquial phrases with Jaal and Doctor Lexi is doing her best to ensure his health aboard the Tempest. There are no other... ‘discoveries’ being made. That would hardly be professional,” Mic corrected.

Keri smiles awkwardly, but she quickly turns her attention to Jaal, who had been watching Mic closely, realising what Keri had insinuated.

“Jaal ... May I call you Jaal?” He nodded, “Great. How do you find the Tempest crew?”

Keri’s fire seems to have been doused as she asks Jaal very mundane questions, Mic eyeing her suspiciously during the whole encounter. Jaal finds it slightly amusing that the asari would assume he was sleeping with Ryder and not someone like Mic.

“I appreciate your time. Just one last question. Do you think you have made, or will make, friends with the crew of the Tempest?”

Jaal looked at Mic, a smile growing on his face, “I believe I will. Especially with my roommate, considering how warm and friendly she is.” Jaal grabbed Mic by the shoulders and pulled her closer.

The shock that went through him upon being so close to her again, was overwhelming. His breath was knocked out of him and when the hair of her bun brushed against his nose, he could not help the smell that engulfed his senses. It was strange and exotic and warm. Everything that Mic actually seemed to be.

Mic frowned as he pulled her closer and slowly turned her head towards him, her mouth open and ready to say something, entirely oblivious to the feelings rushing through Jaal.

“Yes, I’m a perfect candidate for friendship. No one else can hold a candle to my ... awesomeness,” she sarcastically agreed, waving her hand dramatically around her face.

Keri was shocked at the sudden change in Mic’s demeanor. The few times she had had to interview Mic was grueling. She barely got anything except official statements from Mic and this sarcastic woman was not the same woman who was heralded as one of the heroes of the Nexus revolt. At least not the same as the official image.

“That sounds ... interesting and will be great for my next piece. One of the heroes of the Nexus revolt and the angaran emissary. Thank you so much. I have so much editing to do. Bye.” And just as quickly as she appeared, she disappeared again.

Mic watched her go, wondering for a moment if Keri didn’t have a little bit of biotic powers to make her move faster, when Jaal suddenly lifted his hand from her shoulder. The weight of his hand suddenly disappearing made Mic quickly turn to him, wondering if touch was as much a problem for him as it was for her, but his widened eyes told her that he was afraid of offending her.

Jaal looked down into her eyes, feeling lost in them and wanting to explore the wisdom that they held captive. Her mouth was slightly open again and he wanted to touch them. But her face was a slight distraction from her hand that was still on his left waist, where it had wandered during her sarcastic outburst. It was cold and he could not ignore its presence.

“What?” Mic asked, her voice breaking his trance.

“Was it forward of me to assume we could be friends?”

Mic was silent for a moment, thinking about it. She did not think long, before shaking her head and letting go of him. This made him lean towards her again, wishing to touch her.

“No. I do like you... And I think we already are friends. Not good friends, but friends,” she seemed unsure of herself and put her hands in her pockets.

Jaal sighed with relief, before his eyes fell on the containers behind her. “More deliveries to make?”

Mic turned to look at them as well, “No. Just new containers for future expeditions. Everyone wants something,” she said, shaking her head and sighing. “Willing to help me?” She asked, staring directly at him.

He looked at her as well and her breath caught in her throat. His eyes were so magnificent and they delved into her soul.

_Since when did we become poetic? And why would we be poetic over the sweet guy? ... Did I just call him sweet? What the hell is wrong with me?_

“Yes. Those are a lot of containers.”

Jaal gave her a smile and she rolled her eyes while nodding, sighing with annoyance. Then she bent over and picked up one of the containers. Jaal was immediately behind her and picked up the other one, moving closer to her as they walked towards the Tempest.


	6. Chapter 6

Voeld. It was dark and icy and Mic was staring at it from Sara’s room again. They were still a few minutes out, but Mic had nowhere to be and no samples to analyse, so she came here to stare at the planet. She was holding her warm jacket, inscribed with her name, one of the few things she brought with her from the Milky Way. The Initiative did give everyone a few warm outfits, but this was Mic’s favourite jacket, a gift from her best friends when she was still working at the Proto Lab.

The Proto lab was a great experience for her. She and a bunch of other Alliance scientists were all gathered on a secret facility on a planet far from most of the galaxy’s business. They were tasked with creating prototypes for everything imaginable. Bombs, biological weapons, new plants to sustain life for longer, shelters against their devastating bombs, new medical breakthroughs and even machines that could improve the speed of their vessels. The whole facility consisted of many scientists from all of the species, working together to create products to protect or destroy, not planning on selling any of it. Just using the knowledge to learn.

She worked in the bomb facility. Figuring out ways to create an antidote to a biobomb. The bomb lab next to hers was used to create cover against a specific shrapnel bomb, something that was taking them forever.

Her friends had been scattered all over the different facilities, but they joined each other every morning for breakfast, sharing their findings, hoping to find correlations among their different fields to improve their prototypes.

She smiled as she remembered receiving the jacket when she had to go to another facility on an ice planet to transfer biological material. She couldn’t remember the planet’s name, but there was a lot of security and just as much labs as back home. Her friends were teasing her that she was going into the devil’s lair.

_As long as they give me food, I don’t give a shit. I’ll be saved from your ugly mugs. Nothing could be better than that._ These were her words to them, which resulted in a bout of laughter from all of them.

A tear rolled down her cheek as she stared at Voeld and she shook her head to remove the images of her laughing friends, smiling ruefully at the planet.

 

* * *

 

When they had landed, Mic was behind Sara, Jaal and Vetra, waiting for the ramp.

“You got your pistol?” Sara asked her as she clasped her armour on.

“Yes, but I’m still waiting for your permission to bring my other gun.”

Sara turned to her, her face hidden by her helmet, but Mic knew she was not amused.

“Not until I know you can use it.”

“You’re just scared I’ll beat your ass in a shoot out.”

Sara shook her head and Mic laughed.

“You know how to shoot?” Vetra quipped.

“Did she not save Vela on Havarl?” Jaal added, which made Mic frown, because it almost sounded as if he was defending her abilities.

“Oh yeah,” Vetra admitted, “And there was that time on the Nexus when ...”

“We should get going. This weather isn’t going to be friendly,” Mic cut Vetra off and walked ahead of the rest, switching her helmet on. It wasn’t much of a helmet, just a visor that protected her eyes against the wind. The jacket protected the rest of her.

Sara and Jaal stared at Vetra, waiting for her to explain, but she just shook her head and walked onto the ramp.

“If she doesn’t want me to tell, I’m not going to tell. I’m too afraid of her for that,” is all she said as she followed Mic.

Jaal turned to Sara, but saw that she did not know what they were talking about either. So they followed Mic and Vetra, wondering what was going on.

 

* * *

 

They were settled on Voeld and Mic was scanning the soldiers in the compound. She and Lexi had gotten permission to help the injured soldiers, which resulted in Sara nudging her and commenting how Mic’s reputation was preceding her. Mic shoved her towards the exit and went back to get Lexi.

It was strange for Mic to be praised so much for such a small deed. Sure she helped during the uprising on the Nexus, but even now almost everyone had forgotten that she had actually done something. Sara was all anyone cared about anymore.

She kind of liked the attention, feeling like she does help, even if it was only a little.

While helping the soldiers, she constantly heard news of Sara saving the angara from the kett, liberating some of them from becoming slaves and even the weather was slightly improving.

Jaal didn’t join Sara on all of her missions, staying close to Mic when he was at the base and never taking her out of his sight. Mic had found it strange how a lot of the angara were staring at them, before going to Jaal and whispering things to him. She tried to ignore it, which was made easier by the fact that she had a lot of patients to care for. While in the Milky Way, she had volunteered as a nurse for a while, and since she had a good understanding of how microbes worked, it was easy work for her. The angara physiology was surprisingly similar to many of the species from the Milky Way, so Lexi could help her whenever she needed advice.

The angara were forthcoming towards her, not many, but enough that she did not feel like too much of a freak. She even overheard some of the angarans talking about how humans had landed on Aya, hoping that they had been dealt with.

Jaal was close by and had stepped in, the angarans immediately going quiet at his voice. Mic turned around, her face having been hidden by her jacket and waved at them.

“Don’t worry. We were dealt with.”

“What are you doing here, human?” One of them asked, still suspicious of her.

Jaal looked ready to slap them, but Mic smiled.

“Just trying to stop infections from spreading. And waiting for the Pathfinder to come back so that I can show her an interesting ice sample I took. It has a green mold growing in the middle of it. Very fascinating,” she turned back to the angara she was helping, giving him a warm smile and applying medi gel to his injury.

 

* * *

 

Mic sat silently at her desk, her head resting in her palms as she stared at the ice sample she had taken. IT was interesting to look at and for a moment she wondered what dangers the small specimen might hide. She also smiled at the cute pattern it formed in the ice and was reminded of her father always saying that the prettiest things are usually the most dangerous.

 At that moment the doors opened and Jaal entered. He had told her that he was going to work with Liam for the day and she had enjoyed the solitude between his trips to their shared living space. She didn’t turn her head to look at him now, since she was trying to imagine what the specimen consisted of.

“Mic?” Jaal asked from his desk.

She continued to stare at the ice block as she hummed in response.

“Would you please help me with carrying my things to Liam’s room?”

“Sure,” Mic said as she wrote down a note about the strange red speck on the specimen, before standing up.

Jaal was standing at his desk, his rofjinn in his hand and wearing absolutely nothing. His body was on full display and Mic found herself frozen for a second, before her eyes grew and she turned her head to look at the wall and blinked rapidly.

_I wasn’t expecting that... The fuck? I swear I’m probably as red as a tomato by now._

She wasn’t entirely wrong as a blush creeped into her cheeks and she gulped.

“Uhm ...” She stammered.

“Is something the matter?” Jaal asked as he took a few steps towards Mic.

Mic retreated slightly, closing her eyes and shaking it slightly. “... Jaal... Humans are ... at least most of them ... are uncomfortable with ... nudity.” She lifted her head to look directly at him with the last word and stared at him with a frown.

“Oh... Why? There is no shame in it.” Jaal took another step closer to Mic and she leaned back a bit.

She smiled uncomfortably as she said, “True, but when it is ... unexpected and it is someone you’re not ... in a close relationship with ... It’s a little awkward.”

Jaal looked away for a moment to process what she had just said, as Mic kept her eyes fixed on his. Trying her damnest not to stare at certain ... regions. But she couldn’t help but notice his broad chest and strong arms.

_Damn... That’s kinda hot... Why the fuck did I just think that? That’s very unprofessional... Besides, you’ve seen his scans. This isn’t supposed to be new... Still..._

Jaal broke her line of thought when he hummed in understanding and turned to look at her. “Are none of the humans comfortable with nudity?”

“There are ... some who don’t mind... It’s a lifestyle ... Uhm ... I’m not really familiar with many humans that are... Comfortable with nudity.” Jaal continued to stare at her and she assumed that he wanted to know if she was comfortable with it. “I’m ... pretty uncomfortable with it.” She pursed her lips as she said this and waited for his reply.

“But you have trained as a nurse, yes?” She nodded her head. “Surely nudity must not be strange to you?” He leaned in a little more.

 Mic took a step back and smiled a little stiffly. “True, but that is in a certain environment where it is not entirely unexpected to find your patient naked on an operation table ... or because their clothes were burned off in an accident. This is ... unexpected and ... outside of a ... medical environment... This isn’t ... Uhm .... This isn’t the same. It’s outside of a professional environment where such things ... occur. I’m rambling,” she whispered the last part and looked away from him.

Jaal smiled, but took a few steps back. “I apologize for making you uncomfortable, Mic. I didn’t mean to.”

Mic smiled as she looked back at him. “It’s okay. Just ... warn me next time.”

He nodded his head and smiled meekly at her. She returned it, but after a few moments of awkward silence she looked away and then remembered what he had asked her previously.

“Didn’t you say that you needed help with something?”

Jaal turned around to look at his things and nodded his head. “Yes I did. Would you mind...? Only if you’re comfortable with walking with me.”

Mic smiled and nodded her head. “It’s okay. I’ll take this box and then you can take that one,” she said as she pointed to one of the larger boxes for herself.

“I cannot let you take that one,” Jaal said as Mic walked towards the boxes. She inspected the one she had chosen for herself and then scanned the other one.

“Are you saying that you’re going to make me carry the box with all of the heavy weapons and a helmet instead of the box with the light armour?” She asked as she picked up the box.

Jaal thougth for a moment and then shook his head, “I didn’t notice that.”

She smiled and then turned to leave the lab as Jaal picked up his box and followed her.

They made their way to Liam’s room without much incident, just Peebee whistling as Jaal walked past. He gave her a flirty wink and then jogged slightly to catch up to Mic. She just shook her head at Peebee. Liam was surprised to see how calm Mic was with a naked angara standing next to her, but he didn’t say anything.

“So what is it exactly that you are doing?” Mic asked him as she looked at the armour on his table.

“Sharing insults and asking questions about culture. Wanna listen in?” Liam asked her as he reached for another tool.

Mic pondered for a moment, before nodding her head and grabbing the bowl of chips on the table. “I think this would be insightful.” She smiled at Liam’s shout of protest at her grabbing his snacks, and planted herself on his couch.

It was a comfortable seat and if she kept her eyes on Liam and the tools, she didn’t feel so awkward about Jaal still being entirely nude. She still felt extremely uncomfortable, but she wasn’t going to let anyone know about it.

A few minutes later, Sara walked in and almost had a heart attack as Jaal emerged next to her, wearing absolutely nothing. She froze, whimpered and then whipped her head around to look at MIc, who was staring directly at her, trying her hardest not to notice Jaal standing right in front of her with all of his manliness on display.

“Uh... I have to go.” Sara turned around and rushed out of the room. Mic started to chuckle on the couch as Sara practically ran away from the room.

“I’m going to ... uh ... yeah.” Mic stood up and walked out of the room, rushing after Sara. She didn’t travel far, before she found Sara sitting behind the Nomad, her head in her hands. “You okay?” She chuckled.

Sara jumped at her voice and stared at her. “How are you this calm? The man is naked!” She screamed in a whisper and Mic giggled.

“I know. I’ve been in there for a good half an hour.”

“Really?” Mic nodded. “How?”

Mic smiled, “I’ve seen his scans and ... well ... It’s only awkward if you make it awkward.” Mic extended her hand and Sara took it.

“It’s still awkward.”

“Yeah,” Mic admitted as they made their way back to Liam’s room.

Liam and Jaal explained what they were doing, as Mic smiled at her friend trying not to stare as she leaned against the doorframe. Sara wasn’t happy about their little arrangement, but she accepted it. Jaal walked past Mic and she smiled up at him, avoiding looking at the floor at all costs. Liam laughed at the two women, before Sara left and Mic helped Liam pack up.

 

* * *

 

One morning, Mic had taken a walk to where the lookouts were standing, hoping to catch a glimpse of the storm that had been raging the entire night. Jaal was not around and Mic assumed Sara had taken him with her to start activating the rest of the remnant vaults on Voeld. She wanted one last look at the vicious Voeld, before it calmed down.

The lookouts didn’t hear her coming, nor did they see her, since she was wearing a white Initiative jacket, her visor protecting her eyes from the wind. Mic was cold, very cold, but she enjoyed the sensation and marveled at the sight of the storm.

“Squinting stars! What are you doing out here, human?” the one lookout asked when she saw Mic standing a little behind them.

Mic smiled broadly at her and then gestured towards the storm. “Appreciating the spectacular show.”

The angara looked at each other, confused for a moment. Mic chuckled and walked towards them, before pointing at the wind.

“Look at how the wind makes the snow dance to a rhythm that we cannot feel. The way the winds collide to create spectacles of snow and the colours of the world. The white of the snow directly contrasted by the dark grey of the sky. The wind whistling around the corners of the compound, creating a symphony that our ears would never be able to fully appreciate. The cold that engulfs us, reminding us that we are alive and capable of sensation,” Mic closed her eyes and breathed the cold air in, shivering at the sensation.

The lookouts were now staring at the storm, seeing a strange beauty in it that they had never thought of.

Jaal was at the door and had heard Mic’s admiration for the storm. He had not thought that anyone would find such a bad storm beautiful. Her words had moved him and the smile on her face warmed his soul. He continued to stare at her, before noticing how much she was shivering and how her teeth chittered.

“Mic!” Jaal shouted as he rushed towards her.

She was ripped from her vision of chaos as the large man came charging at her. Mic frowned, confused that he was even here, before he stopped right in front of her.

“You should get inside. You’re cold,” Jaal chastised.

“No I’m not.” Jaal’s eyes grew as he stared at her. “Okay fine, I’m cold, but I’m enjoying the cold and the view. It’s spectacular,” she turned back to the storm, her smile returning.

“Yes it is,” Jaal admitted, not really looking at the storm.

They stood there for a few minutes, when Jaal grabbed her by the arm and pulled her inside. Mic rebelled against him, but it was futile. She was much smaller and didn’t want to cause a scene. Jaal got her a warm drink and then planted her back at the recovery centre.

The lookouts had laughed at Mic’s small rebellion and was convinced that what they had suspected was true.

Liam came into the compound, stealing Mic’s cup from her hands and taking a big sip from it.

“You worthless little maggot,” Mic exclaimed.

Liam and Jaal laughed as Liam took a step closer to Mic. She moved a bit away from him, which Jaal immediately noticed. He wondered if she would move away from him as well, a thought that made him uncomfortable.

“Liam, has Ryder said where she was off to today?” Jaal asked, taking a step closer to Mic, making it seem like he was moving closer to Liam.

Mic didn’t move at all, except for grabbing her cup from Liam and lifting her middle finger up. Liam chuckled at her before answering Jaal.

“Didn’t you hear? She got called out to investigate something about the ... Shit, what were they called? Yevran? Yevaran?”

“The yevara?” Jaal asked, suddenly concerned. Mic watched him closely, noticing the change in his demeanor.

“Yeah. Apparently, someone has been poaching them.”

“No,” Jaal whispered softly, his voice dripping with sadness.

Mic could see that tears were close by and reached out to touch him, feeling that strange bioelectricity again. He seemed to be slightly comforted by her touch, but quickly turned around and rushed off.

Mic turned to Liam with her brows lifted in question.

“What else did Sara say?”

“Just that the yevara were important to the angara. I’m not sure how.”

“Worthless,” Mic said, shaking her head.

“What? Why? Mic!” Liam blurted, screaming after Mic as she went after Jaal.

She found him standing to one side, calling Sara. It felt wrong to her to eavesdrop, so she walked into his view, her face concerned.

He looked at her quickly, before returning to his call to Sara. She had found the bones of the yevara and was asking him about it. Mic listened to his explanation of why the yevara were important, her heart going out to him.

When Sara had cut the call short and went to find the poachers, Mic put her hand on Jaal again, the bioelectricity making her keep her hand there longer than she would have normally done. Jaal gave her a grateful smile, putting his hand over hers, waiting for Ryder to call him back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, so this chapter was a bit delayed since I wanted to add a few things and I was out of the country so I didn't have signal or my laptop to update.  
> I just want to thank everyone for their kudos and comments, I smile like an idiot every time I get a notification. Sorry for not replying to the comments, but I'm a little shy and distracted by all of my tests and assignments.  
> I hope you guys enjoy this chapter.  
> Ciao


	7. Chapter 7

The next day, Mic was pacing up and down the tech lab. She did not want to annoy the people that were in the compound with her fidgeting. The Tempest was mostly empty, since Sara had taken Jaal, Cora, Liam and Drack to rescue the Moshae. It did not make her feel any better that her new friends were running around a very dangerous kett facility, risking their lives for one woman. Mic understood the importance of the Moshae, but she still felt that they could have prepared more for the rescue.

Sara had given her a tight hug before embarking on the shuttle, the others nodding in her direction before climbing on as well. Jaal stared at her for a long time, before grabbing her by the shoulders and hugging her close. It barely lasted a second and the others had not been paying attention, so no one was there to see Mic’s flabbergasted expression, or the blush spreading over her neck and face.

It had been too much for her and she raced back to the Tempest, spending an hour fiddling with the gun load outs, knowing that Sara never paid much attention to these things, as well as the gear load outs.

When that had been arranged, she went to the tech lab, trying to analyse some of the samples she collected, but she could not concentrate. Every time she closed her eyes, she imagined the mangled bodies of her friends lying on a heap, Jaal and Sara on top. Their eyes would be lifeless, their bodies cold and the blood would create a sticky pool around the heap, turning a sickly green at the different mixtures of blood.

It had been too much for her, so she started pacing, later sitting down in Jaal’s chair to feel as if he was not gone.

_Why the fuck am I so worried about the man?_

It worried her that she found comfort in his things. This was not something she was used to. So she rushed out of the tech lab and towards Sara’s room.

Much later, she got a notification asking her to go to the compound. When she got out of the room, Lexi was also charging out, the two of them sharing a concerned look, before running together towards the compound.

They arrived just in time to see the shuttle drop down. Liam, Cora and Drack climbed out of the shuttle first, Drack laughing with the adrenaline he got from a mission. Mic walked towards him, trying to hug him close, but stopping when she saw that he was covered in blood. He just laughed at her face and put his hand on her shoulder.

Sara’s head popped out of the shuttle and Mic gave a sigh of relief, but her pleading face, when she saw Mic, told her that something was wrong, very wrong. She rushed towards Sara, seeing her holding the end of a stretcher. Deeper into the shuttle, she could faintly see Jaal holding the other end of the stretcher.

“What happened?” Lexi immediately asked, her hand scanning the Moshae, looking at the data and frowning.

“A lot of things.”

Mic lifted her hand as well and started to scan Sara, but Sara shoved her hand away. Mic frowned while Sara carried the stretcher towards the Tempest. Looking at the little bit she was able to scan, Mic realized why Sara shoved her away. She had multiple rib fractures and her arm was fractured too. Mic was surprised that she was able to even walk without wincing in pain. But the Moshae was the priority. Sara knew her injuries could be dealt with later.

Mic moved towards Jaal and started to scan him. His hand had a few fractures, nothing too serious, but he seemed very relieved and ... disturbed. She wanted to reach out to him and ask what was wrong, but they had to get the Moshae to the Tempest medical bay. 

Mic let the small group rush towards the Tempest, looking worriedly at Jaal and turned towards the others. She didn’t wait for them to tell her they were fine, she just started scanning. They  _were_ fine. Cora had a few bruises and was worn out, Liam had a sprained ankle and Drack ... well he always had a number of problems and nothing else stuck out.

Mic was about to ask them what had happened, when Lexi called out to her, “Mic! I need you to prep a set of broad spectrum antibiotics as well as this list,” Lexi sent her the list.

“Yes, Doctor,” Mic acknowledged, dashing towards the small group that was moving the Moshae. They were moving slower as a group, so Mic rushed past them towards the Tempest, knowing that she had work to do.

Aboard the ship, she did what was required of her, making sure that the cot was comfortable for the Moshae, removing and adding antibiotics after they had been used and making sure Jaal was not in Lexi’s way. She simply had to tap him on the arm to get him to move in the direction she needed.

“Mic, take care of the Pathfinder,” Lexi said to Mic, as she got rid of another set of antibiotics and after they had done all they could for the Moshae.

Mic nodded her head and then grabbed Sara, who had been standing at the door the whole time. She did not say anything to Sara, just started to unclasp her armour where she knew it would hurt if Sara did it on her own.

“I can do it ...”

“Shut it.” Mic quieted her. Sara’s eyes grew, but she didn’t protest again, just let Mic move her about and remove her armour. The Moshae chuckled quietly when Mic silenced Ryder, but did not say anything to them. She merely whispered something to Jaal and he replied back.

Mic stripped Sara to her tank top and then started to do a thorough scan. Luckily, there were only bruises and fractures, something Mic could easily handle.

“Are you going to tell me what happened, or will it be classified?” Mic asked Sara, soft enough for no one else in the room to hear. She then started to apply the medi gel, a specific kind for fractures.

“Later.”

Mic nodded her head in understanding, continuing with her work.

When she had finished, Ryder climbed off the cot, receiving a look of disgust from Mic, and walked towards Jaal and the Moshae. Mic could hear the last fragment of their conversation, but then Ryder asked Lexi to leave, so she did so as well.

She made her way to the kitchen, after a bellowing laugh from Drack echoed through the hallway. When she walked in, she could see Liam buckled over and Drack hitting him on the back.

“Did you start torturing Liam without me? I’m hurt,” Mic quipped.

Drack looked at her and laughed again, Liam giving her the stink eye.

“Never. I just let him taste some of this,” Drack lifted a bottle in the air.

“Which would be...?”

“My special brew. Want a taste?” Drack asked her with a mischievous smile, his sharp teeth glittering.

“Don’t do it,” Liam grunted, still buckled over.

Mic smiled at Drack, a smile that gave him her answer and he threw the bottle towards her. She caught it easily, sniffing at the mouth of the bottle and then bringing it to her lips. She took a swig, felt the alcohol burn her throat so that she could barely feel anything and then ... there was a sweet aftertaste in her mouth, which made her smile broadly, coughing only slightly.

“That was ... interesting.”

Drack bellowed and Liam stared at her, his mouth agape.

“Are you half krogan or something? What the hell is wrong with you?” Liam exclaimed.

Mic chuckled, “I’ve had worse things forced down my throat. Krogan alcohol isn’t that bad.”

“Oh, I wanna hear that story.”

Mic just smiled at Liam and gave Drack his bottle back.

“Don’t you want another taste?” he said, shaking the bottle slightly.

“Can’t have the nurse drunk on the ship or you might find yourself in an awkward situation,” she answered with a wink and turned around to leave.

Liam and Drack chuckled behind her. She smiled again, wondering if she should ask them what happened, but by the way they quickly fell into a silence again, and Liam coughed loudly as he clearly took another sip of the alcohol, she knew they didn’t want to.

Instead she went to the tech lab, she could still hear Ryder talking inside the med bay, Jaal’s baritone voice slipping through, therefore she didn’t need to worry about bothering him when she entered the tech lab.

She had assumed that she would be alone for a long time, Jaal and Ryder was sure to talk to the Moshae, so she was surprised when the doors opened and Jaal came into the room. He was clearly distressed and Mic regretted coming to the tech lab. He didn’t immediately see her, which she realized when he threw a spanner in her direction. It flew past her head, hitting the wall behind her.

She looked at it fall to the ground and then turned to look at Jaal. He was shocked to see her sitting there, his eyes wide and filled with concern.

“Skutting stars! I could have hit you,” he said, more to himself than to Mic.

“I ... uhm ... I should probably,” she stood up, “leave... I ... yeah.”

She walked towards the door, Jaal not taking his eyes off her. When she was within reach of him, his hand shot out and he grabbed her by the arm. Mic froze on the spot, slowly looking up at him, slightly frightened. Jaal saw that and loosened his grip.

“Please. Don’t.” His voice was low as he begged her, a very soft hum emanating from him.

Mic didn’t know what to do. She did not feel like she had any right to stay, but he clearly wanted her to and she felt the need to comfort him, even if she was clueless as to how. So she nodded her head, taking a step back, not taking her eyes off of his.

They stood silently for a moment, Jaal staring deep into her soul. His eyes were begging her for something, but she was lost as to what it could be. She could see that he was pained, so she responded the way she usually did when one of her friends were in pain. Her arms went around his middle and she hugged him tightly.

Jaal was frozen for just a moment, before his arms went around her and he started to sob. It was heartbreaking for Mic to listen to. His body shook and soon she found that her eyes were tearing up as well.

_Goddamnit, woman. Why are you crying? He’s the one in pain!_

Her hands gently stroked his back, while he burrowed his face in her shoulder and neck. It was a bit of an uncomfortable position for Mic, but she didn’t say anything.

_Let him cry. He obviously needs to._

She continued to stroke his back, trying her best to actually reach most of it, since she was so much shorter than him, while he started to quiet down. He was still shaking, but now he was breathing into her neck. Mic’s breath quickened at the feeling of his hot breath against her skin, but luckily, before she could start to blush, Jaal pulled away, a grateful smile on his face. Her hands slid down his arms and ended in his hands, which engulfed hers.

“I am sorry,” he whispered, looking down at their hands. 

“You don’t need to apologize. You clearly needed that,” she gave a nervous smile and sighed in relief when he returned it, “I’m just ... sort of at a loss... Sara didn’t tell me what happened, so I can’t be of much help...”

“You have already helped me a lot,” he whispers sincerely to her. They share a smile before he takes a deep breath and says, “But you do deserve an explanation...” And he tells her everything.

Mic is horrified at what he had to experience, feeling the bile and rage rising up in her, but she hides it, not wanting to confuse him or say something wrong. Her face does reveal what she feels however, and Jaal is glad to see that he is not the only one that is angered at what the kett are doing to the angara. But he is most disturbed by the thought that he had to kill so much of his people, at which Mic actually speaks for the first time.

“No! There is no reason why you should feel any shame at what you had to do. They are not your people anymore. The moment that procedure is complete, they cease to be angara and you had a right to defend yourself. No one knew what they were so you cannot be at fault for this. Don’t you dare blame yourself for this,” Mic exclaims, pressing her finger against his chest. Her outburst had been animated, more so than Jaal had seen her ever been and he was surprised.

“But I killed so ...”

“No! Don’t think like that. It’ll break you if you blamed yourself for all of them,” Mic’s voice had started to shake and she was staring into the distance, as if she was remembering something. “You did what was needed to protect your people. Now that you know, you can be justified in your hate for the kett.”

Jaal did not know what to feel. He was still angry about the kett and did still blame himself, but he admired Mic’s words. Here she was, comforting someone she had only known a few months about something that had little impact on her life. The angara were not her people, yet she was concerned for them. She never showed much emotion towards anything, except for things that only interested  _her_ , but she was tearing up about something regarding an entire different species, one that had not been very hospitable towards her own.

“Besides, how many have _I_ killed without knowing? And Sara? If you want to blame yourself for killing them without knowing, then you should blame all of us,” Mic looked directly at him, determined to make him see that he is not at fault.

Jaal did not think that he could admire a human as much as he admired Mic in that moment. He tightened his grip on her hand, smiled and gave a slight nod.

“You are right, we cannot blame ourselves for something the kett did. They are the monsters, not us.”

“Exactly.”

They stared into each other’s eyes, seeing understanding and companionship in each other. Mic was glad that Jaal did not blame himself and that he was able to move past the pain of seeing his people tortured and stripped of their identity. Jaal was admiring her fire, something that she hid from everyone, feeling grateful that she was comfortable enough with him to share it.

The door opened behind Jaal and Mic leaned to the side to see past Jaal who it was. She let go of his hand as she stared at Sara. Jaal turned around as well, a very small smile on his face.

“Jaal?” Sara asked, wondering if she was interrupting something.

“Thank you for checking, Ryder, but I’m all right now. Thanks to Mic,” he turned slightly to Mic as he said this, which made Sara smile, grateful that her friend had helped.

“Yeah, she can be a good listener.”

“She is,” Jaal said, turning back to Sara.

“Standing here. Listening,” Mic announced, sounding slightly annoyed at Jaal and Ryder for sort of dismissing her.

Sara chuckled softly, while Jaal released a faint electric shock that only reached Mic. It felt like gratitude and Mic gave him a small smile.

“Well. I’m glad you’re okay Jaal. If you need anything, I’ll be around and Mic’ll be right there. Standing and listening,” Sara joked, which resulted in small chuckles in the room. “I should get going. I haven’t told Kallo to take us to Aya yet. See you two around,” Sara left the room, a bit awkwardly.

Jaal turned to Mic again. “I really miss my family at times like these,” he announced, unexpectedly.

“You talk about them a lot.”

“Really? Hmm, I guess it’s just part of our culture. Are you close to your family?”Mic shrugged her shoulders and shook her head. “Why not?”

“All family I had ever known, is dead. I am ... alone... Sort of. The Tempest crew is starting to feel like family though. Mostly Drack, Liam and Sara. The crazy uncle, annoying brother and talented cousin... You sound like you have a big family?”

“Yes. We share our parents with the community. We all have many mothers.”

“That sounds ... like a lot of names to remember.”

Jaal laughed, while Mic chuckled, but he quickly turned to look at her, serious again, “Were you close to your family when they died?”

“Uhm... Depends on the family,” Jaal frowned at her words, “My blood family was not ... we didn’t get along. They weren’t very fond of my ... opinions. We had a big falling out when I last saw them. My ‘real’ family, the people who didn’t judge me and loved me for who I was, well ... We were very close...” Her words drifted off and Jaal could see that it was a painful subject to her. 

“I’ve never really felt I had a purpose,” Jaal said, changing the subject for Mic, “Here, I do.”

“What about the Resistance? Your leader, Evfra, clearly respects your word and some of the soldiers on Voeld look up to you.”

“My place in the Resistance is ... not what I’d like. On the Tempest ... I can make a difference. For all of our people. This ... is where I should be.”

Mic smiled, grateful that he changed the subject and that he was starting to become comfortable on the Tempest. She knew that this would be great for Sara and the team and, she had to admit, she liked to have him around.

“That’s good to hear. The tech lab would be very quiet without you. No flying spanners,” she joked.

He chuckled, before saying, “So I’m not valuable because of my knowledge and skill?”

“Nah, just your personality.”

The two of them laughed for a bit, before Jaal took her by the shoulder and gazed into her eyes, holding her captive, “So... What you’re actually saying is that you enjoy spending time with me as much as I do with you?”

Mic smiled shyly, a faint blush forming on her cheeks, before looking up at him with a frown, “You enjoy spending time with me?”

“Yes. You’re fascinating. And special. And ... strange.”

Mic chuckled at the last word, her blush deepening, “Thanks. I ... uh ...”

“And I mean it.”

Mic became quiet as she stared into the depth of his eyes. His words rang true and she was surprised at them. It was rare for anyone to admit they liked her company. Most people found her a know-it-all or too quiet. The last people who didn’t find her insufferable... Well, they weren’t around anymore.

Jaal wanted very much to hold her close again. His heart still ached for his people, but her presence made it better. He really did want to spend more time with her and he wanted to know more about her life and the galaxy she came from.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late update, I didn't have much signal and also had midterms....  
> Anywho, I hope you like this chapter. I tried to build Mic and Jaal's relationship a little bit more and show that Mic is starting to care for Jaal, without her noticing it.  
> I appreciate all of the comments and kudos, you all make my day when I get the notifications.  
> Enjoy :)


	8. Chapter 8

It was late at night, the Tempest was quiet and on its way back to Aya. Mic was hiding in a hole close to the Nomad. She was watching a video of her and her friends, before everything, when they were all happy and breathing. They were celebrating a breakthrough that one of them had made. Linda, Jason and Lenny, the tech experts, had made a breakthrough on a virus and how to guard against it. The systems of the Proto lab would be safe against hackers, for now, and it warranted a grand party.

Mic was laughing at their tipsy antics, smiling as she watched the asari, Lily, in the background. Lily was the only asari on the site, a sort of emissary to help in the bomb lab. Mic’s little family had adopted Lily, mostly because she was shy and didn’t talk to many of the people in the labs. Adam, a project manager at the Bomb labs, had grabbed her and pulled her towards their lunch table, sitting her down, introducing everyone and then just watching as the group took her in and included her in their conversations.

Lily still didn’t talk much about anything, but she kept to their group, clearly adoring them. A tear escaped Mic, but she didn’t wipe it away, just continued to smile at the video.

“Mic? Are you all right?” Jaal asked next to her, which made her jump and wipe the tears away. “I’m sorry for startling you.”

Mic paused the video and shook her head, “It’s okay. I ... uhm ... Our talk about family, made me miss mine, so I ... dug up a video of us.” She stared at the paused screen on her omni tool, smiling at all of the people that she had loved more than life.

Jaal sat down next to her. She watched him sit down, he was very close, and then he looked at the screen as well. Mic turned back to it, switched on the sound so that Jaal could hear and then played the vid.

_The whole group was laughing, pushing each other around and teasing each other about everything. Mic and her friend, Garrett, were being teased for being in love, which they weren’t at all, and their friends knew it, but it was a running joke among them. Garrett had had a crush on her when they first met, but that was almost four years ago, and they had only ever been very good friends._

“ _Kiss her, Gar. Make out. Passionately,” Linda was shouting from one of the beds._

“ _I shall. And we shall make love. Passionately. Right here, on the floor,” Garrett erupted, coming into view, holding two shot glasses, filled with white liquid._

“ _Gross. No. At least have class and take me on the bed,” Mic said, emerging from the other side and reaching for one of the shots._

_Garrett laughed and gave her one, “Okay, my lady.” Giving her a bow._

Jaal was staring at Mic, wondering if their relationship was as close as they made it seem. Her smile told him that it was and he felt jealous.

_She laughed, then downed the shot, smiling at the taste and giving the glass back to Garrett. Garrett gave her a kiss on the head and then disappeared from view._

_Music erupted and Mic started to dance, dancing with anyone who joined her and continuing as they found other partners._

Jaal was enjoying watching her dance and be so free and open with her emotions. He wondered if she would ever be this open towards him and her friends on the Tempest.

_The door opened and someone entered. The room fell silent as everyone stared at the newcomer._

“ _Adam!” Mic shouted, clearly inebriated, rushing towards the man and hugging him. The man was rather old, his hair greying at the sides and much taller than Mic._

_He looked down at her and then looked at the others._

_He pointed at her and exclaimed, “Why was she the only one that invited me? Do none of you kids care about your supervisor?”_

“ _I do,” Mic said in an adorable voice, staring up at Adam, her eyes closed and smiling like an idiot._

“ _Yes, Meerkat. I know. Now go get me a drink.”_

“ _Okay.” She let go of him and walked towards the little bar they had set up._

“ _Sorry, Grandpa,” the whole group choired._

_Adam shook his head, but smiled as Mic gave him a shot._

_The rest of the vid is them taking photos together, Garrett giving her a peck on the cheek in one and she hugging Lily in another. They were so carefree and happy._

Another tear fell from her face, which Jaal saw and wiped it away. Mic froze as he touched her face, the video ending with a photo of her and her family. She stared at his hand, which was still on her face. It reminded her of a lion’s paw, but it was soft and tender on her skin.

Her eyes went up to Jaal’s, his eyes searching hers. The hum was back, engulfing the two of them in a warmth that Mic had never known before. She felt unsure of herself, Jaal’s strange bioelectricity was sending strange emotions towards her.

Jaal leaned forward, but he saw her eyes growing in discomfort, so he stopped right in front of her.

“Meerkat?”

Mic snorted and closed her eyes, shaking her head. She looked away, the moment broken and Jaal felt his heart sink.

“It was a nickname that Adam, the old guy, gave me because of my history and my name. Sounds almost like Mic.”

“History?”

Mic smiled and nodded her head, “Yeah, I grew up on Earth on one of the largest, driest and wildest continents. Africa. The meerkat is an animal that lives on the African continent. Small, kind of cute, but damn they’re vicious. Adam said it was a nickname that fit me well. He had nicknames for most of my friends. Garrett was Bolt, because he was good with electrical things. Most of the electrical guys had a nickname to do with electricity. Bio guys got biological nicknames and so on. He was like our dad. He cared for us and ...” Her voice became thick with emotion and she stood up. “Uhm... What are you even doing up?” She asks, taking shallow breaths, tears close.

“Mic... It is not good to keep these things bottled up...”

Mic swallowed and then smiled ruefully, “I’ve dealt with most of it almost 600 years ago... Technically five years ago.... Okay, look I didn’t deal with it when it happened, but I’ve ... Yeah ... Don’t push, Jaal,” she said as he opened his mouth to say something. “If I want to share, I will, otherwise I’ll just ... Hide. Good night, Jaal.”

She turned around abruptly and stormed off to her bed, falling into it without loosening her hair or taking off her clothes, silently sobbing at great memories. The last photo she took with her family was still on her omni tool, glowing quietly, the laughter of that night still echoing in her ears.

Jaal wanted to rush after her and ask her more about it, but he realized that it would not be appropriate and she might just push him away.

 

* * *

 

The next day, Mic was up before anyone. Again. She was in the kitchen, making breakfast for everyone. They were still a few hours away from Aya, but they still had work to do. For a moment she paused, remembering when she had made dinner with her ‘family’ around Christmas. The memory lasted only a moment when one of the dishes caught her eye and she rushed towards it.

Drack came in later, shaking his head when one of the pots started to boil over. He took the pot off the stove and then turned towards her, a smear of sauce on her face. He laughed and wiped the sauce away, while she was chuckling.

“Occupational hazard,” Mic said and continued with the dish in her hands.

Drack helped her and soon the whole Tempest crew had piled into the kitchen, drawn in by the smells. They were laughing at the jokes they were telling each other. Mic was standing at the counter, watching all of them. It was a very familiar scene and she felt at home, sipping slowly at her tea. There was a twinge of pain pulling at her heart at memories, but it was a welcome pain. It was good memories and this was another good one.

Jaal kept his eye on her, seeing her smile, but also the tears that were close. It broke his heart, but he felt helpless to do anything about it.

The crew was starting to leave the kitchen, having work to do. Lexi left first, wanting to check up on the Moshae, taking a plate with her. Mic and Jaal were the last ones in the kitchen, Jaal helping her with the dishes. They didn’t say anything, but Jaal knew that she was glad he was with her.

“This reminds me of dinner with my family. Except we are more rowdy and there is more food. But this was ... good. You were right.”

“I was? About what?”

“The Tempest crew is starting to feel like family.”

The two of them smiled at each other as they packed away the dishes. Mic grabbed one of the plates as Jaal grabbed it too, and another shock went through her. She pulled back and Jaal took the plate. The shock went through Mic’s entire body, making her warm up from the inside and she felt at peace. The feeling remained for another while, while she and Jaal finished up.

Jaal kept talking about his family, his work in the Resistance, the Resistance and most of its facets. He told her all of this while they walked out of the kitchen and made their way to the tech lab. She continued to listen to his stories as they entered the tech lab and sat down on his desk.

He stopped for a moment and stared in the distance, before saying, “You know, the truth is ... I don’t know what I want yet. For my life. At my age.”

“Didn’t you study something?” Mic asked.

“The kett occupation creates chaos, so our education is chaotic. I’m not really anything.”

“Really? Well, even for a chaotic education, you and your people are intelligent. You have done great things amidst the chaos.”

“You think so?”

“Yes. The scientists on Havarl are very talented. On Voeld you have medics that are very capable. I assume Aya has scientists and scholars that are very knowledgeable. You are also very intelligent. Your people have done well.”

“And your people have crossed darkspace,” Jaal stated.

“We can hardly compare. My people aren’t terrorized by a villainous race that are changing our ...” She paused, “Uh... Yeah. That and we don’t have the Scourge.” Mic raised her brows and her eyes then fell on her workstation. “Oh shit. I forgot about that.” She jumped up and raced towards her workstation.

“Is something the matter?” Jaal asked, concerned about her sudden change.

“No...Yes?... Sort of. I was waiting for the analysis on one of the microbes and this red light indicates a problem with it.” She pointed to the red light on the analysis container.

She started to type away at her laptop, checking and rechecking things. Jaal walked up to her. He leaned over her shoulder, her warm smell engulfing his nostrils.

“You have a bad habit of doing this,” Jaal whispered in her ear.

Mic froze and looked at him, “What?”

“You keep getting distracted by work while we are talking. It’s rude.”

Mic’s eyes grew, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be, it’s just that ... you know...”

“No.”

Mic stared at him, wondering if she had insulted him, but his face was smiling, and she realized that he was messing with her.

“You know what, Mister Emissary, some of us have real work to do and we can’t just sit around, looking pretty. And besides, you’re the one that invaded my working space. I work here. _You’re_ being rude.” She smiled smugly, crossing her arms.

Jaal was smirking and then motioned towards her screen. Mic understood and pointed at the data.

“This is telling me that I could contract a rash from the microbe. That or I could experience a lethal allergic reaction.” Jaal’s eyes grew and he stared at Mic. She smiled reassuringly and looked back at the data, “Luckily, it is very hard for this microbe to live in the conditions on Voeld. So, as long as we don’t transfer the microbe to an environment it can live in and we produce medication against it, we’ll be fine. And I have to keep this microbe frozen and under lock and key. The humans will be fine.”

Jaal sighed, clearly relieved. He put his hand on her shoulder, “You are careful with these microbes, aren’t you?”

Mic smiled, “Relax Jaal. I won’t let you get sick from my little friends. Only I am ever in danger.” She continued to type, writing her report on the microbe, but Jaal was even more concerned now.

“Mic... You are putting yourself in danger? Purposely?”

She turned to him and frowned, confused at his sudden outburst. “Jaal, it’s my job to collect these samples to ensure that people do not get sick or die. There is no one else to do this job right now. I’m the only one standing between the people of the Milky Way and the microbes on Andromeda’s planets.”

“But you are putting yourself in danger.”

“As much danger as you do,” She kept her voice flat and his eyes captive. “You can’t lecture me about being in danger when you throw yourself in front of guns every now and again. I’ve had to deal with wild animals and three world ending viruses. I can handle most microbes,” She put her hand on his, which was still on her shoulder, “Don’t worry. I know what I’m doing... When it comes to microbes. The rest of life, not so much,” She added laughingly and patted his hand. “But I still need to work. So leave me.” She turned back to her laptop and Jaal lifted his hand reluctantly.

Jaal walked away from Mic, but he watched her work for a while. He smiled when he saw her bite her lip in concentration and the way she shrugged her shoulders when she felt stuck.


	9. Chapter 9

They were back on Aya. Mic and the crew were allowed to enter the city and they experienced a warmer welcome than before. Mic was surprised at the welcome the Moshae got, it was a strange experience for her. But that was not so important to her, she wished to see Aya. As much as she would be allowed to. Therefore, the moment everyone started to disperse, she disappeared into the crowds, not hearing the whole debate about whether Jaal was going to stay or not.

“Well done. Jaal. Report for reassignment,” Evfra said.

“Evfra. I need to stay with the Pathfinder,” Jaal proclaimed. His eyes grew and he made a small nod with his head.

Evfra was staring at Jaal, a silent conversation going on between them. Sara was watching the two of them for a while, before intervening.

“Jaal has already become a valued member of my crew.”

“Of course he has,” Evfra said with a slight smirk. “I see the benefit. Request granted.”

“I need to file a mission report. Don’t leave Aya without me.”

Evfra grabbed Jaal by the shoulder and it seemed to pertain a message that Sara did not understand. She tried to figure it out for a moment, when she thought that Mic might know. Mic had a closer relationship with Jaal than any one of the crew, which was strange, since Mic wasn’t known for her social skills. Sara turned around to ask Mic, when she saw no one.

Everyone had already left to check out Aya and Sara was the only one standing at the docks. She opened her omni tool and messaged Mic to get to her. Mic got the message, sighed and turned away from the markets, walking back towards the docks. She met Sara halfway and smiled ruefully.

“Sorry, Sara. Got excited on seeing the Angara Golden World.”

Sara chuckled at the name and then hooked her arms in with Mic. She turned them towards the markets and started to look out over the balconies at the view of Aya.

“Something weird just happened and I need your expert advice.”

“About?”

“Jaal.”

Mic turned towards Sara, stopping the both of them and lifting her eyebrows, “I think we both know that I am most definitely not an expert on Jaal ama Darav. I barely know what to do not to insult him. Liam probably has a better understanding of the man.”

“Yeah, but he’s not sharing a room with the guy. You probably picked up a few things without even noticing. Like why Evfra and Jaal just shared the weirdest look with each other.”

Mic looked away and kept walking, still hooked into Sara, “I don’t know Evfra. And they could have a ... kind of secret language that only they share... Don’t look at me like that.”

“Secret language?” Sara chuckled.

“Yes. A secret language. Something ingrained in them that only they share. A way to communicate without anyone else knowing what they’re saying... Or...”

“Or what?”

Mic swallowed and looked around at the angara around them. Most of them were staring at Mic and Sara. So Mic turned Sara a bit to the side of a stall, “I’ve noticed that angara share ... emotions through their bioelectricity. Maybe they shared something.”

“And I didn’t pick up on it?”

Mic turned her head from side to side, “It’s possible that they can choose who feels the bioelectricity. I don’t know exactly. It’s not like I prodded and experimented on Jaal.”

“Maybe you should’ve.”

Mic turned and stared agape at Sara, “Well, I’ll remember that next time I meet a new species. Throw them down on a table and start opening them up,” she whispered as she looked around to see if any angara had heard her.

Sara chuckled and shook her head, walking back towards the markets.

“Mic!” A voice shouted from across the marketplace.

Mic froze as Sara turned around, “Who the fuck knows me on this planet?” Mic frowned.

She turned around and saw an angaran woman rushing towards her. Mic smiled as she recognized the face and Sara just stared.

“Vela! It’s good to see you again. How are you?”

“I am well. How are you?”

“Happy to be here. I’ve been excited to see your homeworld for some time now. It is exquisite,” Mic turned to look at the view and sighed in appreciation.

Vela smiled as well and looked at the view.

“It is. Have you met my cousin, Evfra?”

Mic was quiet and slowly nodded her head, “He is ... a scary guy.”

Vela and Sara laughed, before Vela looked strangely at her, “You take down kett without blinking, yet you are afraid of my cousin? That does not seem like you.”

“Hey, kett don’t have that demanding demeanor. They just ... “Mic realized she was talking about angara that had been changed and Vela was looking sad. “They terrify me in other ways...” She tried to save her statement, but she probably messed it up. “I am sorry, Vela. I ... I was trying to ... I don’t know what I was trying to do.”

Vela put her hand on Mic’s shoulder and looked into her eyes, “It’s all right. I understand. My cousin can be mean.” Vela chuckled and Sara and Mic followed.

 

* * *

 

Later, Jaal came out of the Resistance Headquarters, wondering where Mic was. He had told Evfra what was going on between him and Mic, upon which Evfra gave him a hug and a reassuring pat on the back.

“Good luck. Rather you than me,” Evfra had simply said and dismissed him.

He opened his omni tool, checking his tracking program. Mic hadn’t noticed when he planted a tracker in her omni tool. He knew that it might be invading on her privacy, something she valued highly, but he felt better knowing that he could track her.

She was at the Tavetaan so Jaal made his way there. He found her sitting with Sara and Vela, laughing about something. The angara were staring at the three women, some hostile, but most were curious. Sara was clearly watching the angara as well, fidgeting under the attention and her eyes were darting nervously around. Vela also noticed all the attention, but Mic seemed entirely oblivious. Her face was open and smiling and her attention was only on Sara and Vela. Jaal wondered if she really didn’t see all of the looks around, but when he was barely in the Tavetaan, she waved him over.

“Hello. Done with your duties?” she asked him when he was close enough to hear.

“Yes. It is good to see you again, Vela.”

“You too, Jaal. My cousin didn’t give you much trouble, did he?”

Jaal chuckled and grabbed a chair. He put it down right next to Mic and shook his head as he sat down.

“Evfra is ... Evfra,” He simply said and looked at Mic.

She smiled at him, but he saw her eyes looking just past his head, before she turned to Sara, doing the same to her. Sara was still looking over her shoulder the whole time, not noticing Mic’s subtle stares.

“Sara... Chill,” Mic said, as she reached over to Sara and put her hand on hers. Sara calmed down a bit and took her hand out of Mic’s, curling them around a glass. 

“Well, it was nice catching up with you, Mic, but I have to go talk to my cousin. He has asked to see me.”

“Good luck with that,” Mic said to Vela as she stood up.

Vela stared at her strangely, shook her head and said, “You are strange, Mic. Stay strong and clear, my friend.”

“Goodbye, Vela.”

The group watched her leave and then Jaal turned towards Mic.

“You do not seem worried about all of the attention you are receiving,” Jaal said to Mic.

Mic turned to him, her eyes drifting across the crowd, before it fell on his. She smiled and then shook her head.

“I am not. Most of them are just curious. Just as curious as the people on the Nexus were when you were there,” Mic smiled and then grabbed her glass as well, savouring the taste of the cold drink.

“You think they don’t hate us?” Sara voiced from across the table.

“Fuck, Sara, of course I think some of them hate us with a seething rage. But I really doubt they would do something to us here. And if they did, well, Drack’s at the bar, I have training and you and Jaal will be fine. Chill.”

Mic downed her drink and put it down gently on the table, looking very confident in her words. Sara shook her head, annoyed at Mic’s calm and Jaal admiring it.

“How many battles have you seen, Mic?” Jaal suddenly asked.

Mic turned slowly towards him, confused at his sudden question.

“Mic has never been in a fire fight,” Sara proclaimed, certain in her words.

“I never said she fought a fire,” Jaal answered, confused.

“It’s human slang for battle. And I have been in a few,” Mic said, glancing at Sara before looking down at her glass again.

Sara’s eyes grew. She stared at Mic and then almost shouted, “When? Why didn’t you tell me?”

“You never asked. Now shush. It’s not a big deal. I had to fight on the Nexus. Everyone with a little bit of training was asked to,” Mic rambled. She then grabbed her glass again, but saw that it was empty and put it right back down. She averted her eyes to her lap and fidgeted with her hands.

“Mic? Why do you not wish to tell us?” Jaal asked, concern written all over his face.

“It’s... I’m ... They’re not things I’m proud of. Let’s leave it at that.” Mic turned to look at the angarans around them, giving them polite smiles.

Jaal and Sara looked at each other, wondering why Mic would not want them to know, but they didn’t pry.

 

* * *

 

Mic, Sara and Jaal had spent hours talking at the Tavetaan. About as many things as they could think of. A few angara had come to talk to Jaal, but they left quickly, stealing glances at Mic and Sara.

But Sara had to get into the Vault and so she left Mic and Jaal at the Tavetaan. The two of them were quiet for a while, Mic and the rest of the angarans in the Tavetaan sharing polite smiles, while Jaal kept his eyes on her.

Mic made faces at him as he stared at her and they shared a laugh. They spend the rest of the afternoon like this, until Sara returned. Sara fell in the chair she had previously occupied, sighing loudly and slumping down.

“The fuck happened? They kick you out?” Mic asked, sliding her drink towards Sara.

Sara grabbed it and took a large sip, enjoying the taste.

“I like this. What is it?”

“No clue, but it tastes almost like pineapples. What happened?”

“Basically, we need to get someone from Kadara Port.”

“Kadara? I am not going to that traitorous hole,” Jaal exclaimed, pushing his chair back.

“Well, I’m definitely going,” Mic said, grabbing her glass back.

“You’re not afraid of it?” Sara asked.

“Why would you want to? It’s a cesspool of traitors and murderers,” Jaal continued.

“Yeah, I know. And no I’m not afraid... I wanted to test their sulphur pools since we got here,” Mic said, taking a sip.

“You will put yourself in danger for samples?” Jaal asked, his eyes big and confused.

“I won’t be in any more danger than on any other planet. Calm down. Sara, when are we leaving?”

“When the crew is back on the Tempest. Finish your drink and then we get going,” Sara said, shaking her head slightly and leaning back.


	10. Chapter 10

Kadara Port. It was wild and reminded Mic of her home and the first few weeks on the Nexus. She saw a few faces that she had rescued or shot at, giving them slight bows of the head. Some of them returned it, but most of them ignored her. 

Mic accompanied Sara all around the port, people glancing at the two of them. She just smiled and followed Sara to Kralla’s Song, making mental notes about the different shops around them. Mic walked into the bar first, Sara scrutinizing the building and frowning at the patrons inside. Mic immediately disappeared into the crowds, making her way to the bar.

A man was sitting in the corner, eyeing her and she gave him a furtive glance, feeling as if she recognized him, but ignored it and ended up at the bar. She ordered two drinks for her and Sara, when the man emerged next to her.

“Are you planning on drinking on your own?” he asked in a sultry voice.

Mic saw Sara coming through the crowd on her left, moved Sara’s glass closer to the man and leaned against the bar.

“Nope.”

Sara grabbed the drink before the man could take it and smiled at him. He gave her a smile as well and Mic groaned internally when she saw Sara’s smile grow. Sara likes bad boys and this man seems to be just that.

“Shena. But you can call me Reyes. I hate code names.”

Sara turned to look at Mic, who just shrugged her shoulders.

“I was expecting someone more … angaran.”

“The Resistance pays me to supply information – among other things.”

“Okay, this conversation is getting above my paygrade. Good luck with the smuggler, Sara,” Mic simply said as she walked away from them and towards a booth, taking the glass from Sara’s hand.

Mic sat down in the booth, keeping an eye on Reyes and Sara  as they walked over to look over Kadara , wondering what they were talking about. They didn’t talk for long, before Sara came over to her.

“Come on.”

“Where to?” Mic asked, standing up.

“We’re going to see Sloane Kelly.”

Mic takes a step back upon the mention of Sloane’s name, sits right back down and shakes her head.

“Nope.”

“What?”

“I’m not entering the same room as her. She might shoot me,” Mic said and crossed her arms.

“Why would she want to shoot you?... What did you do?” Sara demands, putting her hands on her hips and raising her eyebrow in amusement.

“She hates anyone that had anything to do with the Nexus Uprising. I was there so she might ... not be happy. I’m not taking the chance. I’ll sit right here and look pretty.”

“An easy task,” Reyes comments as he slides into the booth, bumping against her. She moves a bit away from him, which makes his eyebrows contract, before smiling again.

“Fine. I’ll go alone... Worthless excuse for a friend,” Sara whispers the last part as she turns away and exits the bar.

“So... You’re the crazy one,” Reyes states as he leans into Mic again. She moves away from him and then lifts one of her eyebrows in question. “You know ... The one that went mad when her lover died and almost killed a dozen people, then went on to eradicate the adhi on Eos?”

Mic’s face becomes stone as she stares at him, her eyes suddenly burning with rage and her hands clenching. She leans into him this time and her mouth twitches at the side.

“What do you want?” she growls.

Reyes’ eyes grow as he watches her seethe and lifts his hands up in defense.

“Nothing. I just asked.”

“Don’t. It is not your business.” 

Mic stands up abruptly, almost making the table topple over and attempts to leave the bar. Reyes grabs her wrists though and she shoots him a look of pure hatred. 

“Come now. I did not mean to upset you. Sit down and have another drink.” He is calm, his face plain and clearly not in a flirty mood anymore.

Mic raised her eyebrow again, not moving another muscle. Reyes motions for the bartender to bring them more drinks. She continues not to move, until the drinks are put down on the table, then she sits down at the edge of the booth, staring straight at Reyes.

Her eyes narrow as she looks at him, “What do you want?” she repeats.

Reyes takes a sip from his drink and then smiles, “Nothing. I just thought it strange that everyone here knows who you are and what you did, but the Pathfinder is oblivious.”

“She never asked.”

“So you won’t tell her?” Mic didn’t move. “It’s a shame. She could use someone with your battle skills.”

“She doesn’t need me to fight.”

“She might.”

“She doesn’t need me. Why is this so important to you?”

Reyes takes another sip and then stares directly at her, “You saved my life. I can see you saving more, but you refuse to. Why?”

Mic realizes where she remembers him from. He was a pilot and someone had tried to force him to fly them off the Nexus. She took them out and then led him back to safety. Then she left him there and went looking for another fight.

Her shoulders relax and she picks up the drink in front of her, downing it and then placing the empty glass on the table.

“I am not proud of most of the things I did in that time. I ... don’t want to relive that. And I’m not exactly trained for battle. I’m surprised I even survived the Nexus.”

Reyes moves closer to her again, and this time she doesn’t move away. He throws half of his drink into her glass and then smiles gratefully at her, “I’m glad we both did. To us. The survivors,” he lifts his drink.

Mic relaxes entirely and lifts her drink to his, clinking their glasses together. She smiles slightly at him and sips at her drink.

 

* * *

 

Sara had talked to Sloane and had taken care of everything she had needed to. Now she just had to fix everything on Kadara.

Mic spends most of the first few days in the bar, having little chats with Reyes, to whom she’s warming up to, and otherwise just having drinks with some of the people of the Tempest crew. Jaal and Sara had refused that she go out with them and they ordered the rest of the crew to keep an eye on her. She felt like a child, but she just went with it, writing it off as a mini holiday on Kadara Port.

Reyes and Vetra just shook their heads at Jaal and Sara, but said nothing. 

One morning, as Mic walked into the bar, Jaal grabbed her and basically dragged her out and took her back to the Tempest. 

“The fuck?” Mic asked him as he escorted her.

“Someone called a meeting,” he answered curtly.

Mic turned to Jaal and frowned when she saw how uncomfortable he was. He also seemed slightly angry and was standing closer to her than ever before. Jaal was basically on top of her and she felt intimidated.

“Jaal? What’s wrong?” Mic asked as she stopped right in front of him. He almost bumped into her, but she stood fast and looked up at him.

“I... I don’t like this place,” Jaal said as he crossed his arms. Mic turned her head slightly and Jaal uncrossed his arms, “And I don’t like that man. Reyes. He seems ... dishonest.”

Mic smirked and turned around as she said, “That’s because he is.”

“You know he is dishonest?” Jaal asked as he followed her.

“Yes. Very few people on Kadara Port are honest and he’s a smuggler. He’s definitely dishonest.”

“Still. I don’t like how he looks at y ... looks.” Jaal looks down.

 

* * *

 

“Any advice?” Sara asked Mic as the meeting was adjourned.

“Stabilize Kadara before you fix everyone else’s problems... Man... I do not envy you one bit, you poor sod,” Mic sighs as she leans against the table.

“Thanks for your encouragement. It’s endearing... You really think that I should first get Kadara stabilized?”

“Well... it’s important to improve relations with the angara and if you can get the exiles to trust you more ... all the better. So why not get it over with while we’re here? Now if you’ll excuse me. I have a date with a little shit.”

“Ew ... that sounds wrong... Wait who?”

“Reyes...” Sara’s eyes grew and she stared at Mic. Her mouth opened and closed a few times as Mic started to chuckle. “Calm down. It’s not really a date. He just said that he wanted to show me something. I’ll never go for _your_ bad boy,” Mic winked and left the meeting room, laughing as Sara started to protest behind her.

Jaal watched her leave, but when he tried to go after her, Sara asked him to suit up to join her. He obliged, but his heart sank by the thought that he could not join Mic.

 

* * *

 

Mic had walked back to the bar and Reyes was sitting in their usual booth. They waved at each other, but before she could sit down he dragged her by her arm out of the bar.

“Why does everyone refuse me alcohol and down time?” Mic whined.

“This will be exciting, trust me.”

“Never,” Mic crossed her arms as they stood on the elevator that went down to the rest of Kadara. Reyes just smirked and led her to a modified rover. “Don’t tell me you’re going to take me on a road trip?”

Reyes’ shoulders slumped, “You just ruined the surprise.”

“I’m driving.”

“Don’t touch my rover.”

Mic laughed as she climbed into the passenger seat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the (very) late update. (I'm posting two chapters to make up for the long wait) I had exams and failed them and then I went home, where there is no internet, and now I'm rewriting the exams, hoping not to fail them again :( Anywho, in the Kadara chapter, I wanted to show how easily Mic's feelings can actually be affected by a few words and I also wanted to hint a bit at her background during the Nexus Uprising. In this fic, she's pretty well known among many people of the Nexus Uprising.  
> Hope you guys enjoy


	11. Chapter 11

Apparently Reyes wasn’t really interested in taking her on a road trip. Instead they were following the Nomad around and Mic was playing with the radio. They didn't talk much, since both of them were worried about all of the gunfire.

They spent the whole day following the Nomad and Reyes even helped Mic collect a few samples from the water and plantlife. When the sun started to set, they picked a nice spot on a hill to enjoy the view.

“So, Mic ... about Sara...”

“You break her heart, I’ll break your bones. That’s all I gotta say about the matter.”

He laughed and put his hand on her shoulder.

Mic opened her mouth to say something when the Nomad emerged behind them. The two of them watched as Sara and Jaal burst out of the Nomad.

“What are you doing outside of Kadara Port? You are not safe here,” Jaal exclaimed.

Everyone stared at him and Mic just shrugged, before saying, “I got bored and Reyes wanted to show me the rest of Kadara. You guys want to join in the view?” Mic patted the floor next to her.

“This place is not safe. We cannot stay here.”

“Jaal is right. We shouldn’t stay here,” Sara said as she scrutinized the area.

“Oh come on!” Mic moaned.

Reyes chuckled, but didn’t stand up and just turned towards Sara and Jaal. “Come now. When was the last time you watched the sunset with a handsome rogue?” He gave Sara a wink and Mic chuckled next to him.

Sara stared at him for a while, when Peebee flew past her and landed next to Reyes.

“Oh, I love the view. Look you can even see the base we shot up,” she started to ramble.

Mic smiled as Sara groaned in frustration, before walking towards them. For a moment Sara wondered where to sit, when Mic made space between her and Reyes. Sara gave her a grateful smile before plopping down next to Reyes. They share a smile and Mic chuckles slightly at the two of them.

Jaal shakes his head, but he walks forward and sits down right next to Mic, so close that she can feel the bioelectricity from his skin. She smiles at him and then turns to watch the sunset again. The two of them lean into each other, just enough that Jaal can feel the fabric of her jacket grazing against his own.

The whole group stayed there for a while until the sun was gone and then Mic stood up and stretched.

“Well, we should probably get back now. Before someone else tells me it’s too dangerous to be here,” she glanced at Sara and Jaal, frowning and then turned towards the vehicles.

“Want to catch a ride with me?” Reyes asked Sara as he helped her up.

“Sure,” she agreed and walked with him towards the rover.

“Oh sweet. Now I can drive,” Peebee exclaimed and ran towards the Nomad.

Sara turned to tell her off, but Mic was quicker, “There is no way in hell I’m letting you drive. Sara, give me the access code.”

Sara smiled and gave Mic the access code for the Nomad. Mic smiled triumphantly and jumped into the Nomad.

“Good luck with that,” Sara whispered to Jaal before she climbed into the rover with Reyes.

Mic gave a mischievous chuckle as she strapped herself in and waited for Peebee and Jaal to get in. She waited patiently for them to strap in as well, before she started the engine and revved it. Peebee chuckled and Jaal smiled at her. She put on her music and put her foot down on the accelerator.

They went flying over hills and past lakes. Jaal was smiling at Mic’s excitement and Peebee was cheering her on in the back. Three songs had barely finished when they were back at Kadara Port, laughing and panting at the excitement.

They all stumbled out of the Nomad and made their way to the bar, Mic paying for their first round. Jaal couldn’t believe how much she was laughing and talking with him and the rest of the crew. Drack had come in after Mic sent him a message and he had dragged Gil, Liam and Vetra with him. They were all making jokes and drinking.

Liam told a joke that was only understandable to the humans and Mic laughed so hard that she grabbed Jaal by the arm and didn’t let go until her laughter had died down. He couldn’t help himself as he kept smiling the whole night through.

* * *

For the next few weeks, Mic has started to watch the growing relationship between Sara and Reyes. She laughed at their flirting, which was endearing to watch. Jaal couldn’t understand how she could see the bond, since he assumed they were only playfully flirting, the way Mic and Liam sometimes did. Or the way Jaal did with most of the crew.

And while Sara and Reyes were ogling each other, Mic had finally gotten permission from Sara and Jaal to actually work on Kadara as Sara worked with Reyes. Mic was ecstatic, but was annoyed that they actually gave her a perimeter to work in. It was barely out of Kadara Port and there was even an escort that consisted of members of the Collective. Mic ignored them as she took her samples and then played at the sulphur pools by throwing biological matter in the pools and watching it dissolve.

Every now and then she could see bodies and notified her escort of it. She assumed that they would deal with it.

“ _Mic! I’m on my way to investigate the murders on Kadara Port. So I’ll be seeing you soon_ ,” Sara’s call interrupted her work.

“Wait, what murders? Aren’t there like dozens daily?”

“ _Yeah, but these are against the Nexus exiles and Nexus supporters and I have to solve them. It’s ... important that I do this.”_

“Obviously. Well, I’m at my spot. Haven’t breached the perimeter,” Mic groaned.

She moved towards the small building that was where she usually met up with Sara, if she wasn’t spending time with Reyes. Mic sat down on one of the steps and waited patiently for Sara to show up.

She didn’t need to wait long when the Nomad came into view. Sara had barely stopped when Jaal jumped out.

“Mic!” He exclaimed happily and picked her up, enveloping her in a bear hug.

Mic’s eyes grew as he squeezed the air out of her lungs, “Jaal...” she could barely mutter and he immediately dropped her.

“Sorry,” he said sheepishly.

“Excited much?” Sara asked as she climbed out as well.

“Apparently,” Mic wheezed while bending over to get her breath back. “Don’t know why though,” she commented as she looked up at Jaal.

He shrugged his shoulders and then abruptly turned around and walked back to the Nomad. Drack emerged from the Nomad and started to chuckle as he stared at Jaal.

Sara turned to Mic and started to smile, “You know, I think he’s attached to you.”

Mic frowned, looking entirely unimpressed, “I highly doubt that. I mean ...” she pointed to herself, “It’s me. Who could like this?”

“No fucking clue.” Sara sat down on one of the steps and Mic joined her. “You know, I’m pretty worried about the investigation. I hate caves.”

“You’re going to a cave?”

“Jip.”

“Watch out for spiders.”

Sara turned towards her, a terrified look on her face, ”WHAAAATTT?”

Mic chuckled, “You afraid of spiders?”

“Yes!! Now I have to worry about that as well... Ugh ... Fuck.”

“Chill. I got this,” Mic said as she grabbed Sara’s arm.

“Hey!”

“Shut it.”

Mic activated Sara’s omni tool and then her own, sending a program to Sara. She then fiddled a bit with Sara’s omni tool before letting go of her arm.

“What did you do?”

“Ultrasonic pest repellent. Just activate the program when you enter the cave and it’ll drive the spiders away. Mostly.”

“Mostly?”

“You always get stubborn creatures. Now. Shouldn’t you be catching murderers? You murderer?”

Sara chuckled and stood up, “On my way. Hopefully Reyes will be on time.”

Mic smiled and gave Sara a wink as she climbed in the Nomad.

Jaal walked over to Mic, a spring in his step as he grabbed her again and gave her another bear hug. She let him and just smirked as he gave her a smile and turned around to get back to the Nomad. Drack laughed heartily as he saw Mic’s confused look.

“You kids are amusing,” he said in between laughs.

Mic watched the Nomad disappear through the mountains, the familiar sense of dread setting in.

* * *

Later, as Mic is sitting in the Tempest, analyzing some of the biological materials of Kadara, she hears distant voices. It is very muffled, but the voices sound excited and busy. She considers finding out what is happening, when the door slides open and Jaal stumbles in.

He’s holding his left arm tightly, blood dripping on the floor and his face is contorted with concern.

“Sara ... she’s ...”

Her heart stops for a moment, but Mic doesn’t wait for him to finish as she jumps up and rushes past him. She almost slips from his blood, which makes her stop and grab him by the shoulder, rushing with him to the med bay.

Everyone is gathered around the window looking into the med bay, silent and watching. Mic pushes past them, dragging Jaal behind her. She barely registers Reyes standing at the end of the room, his eyes wide and fearful.

Mic slams her hand against the door panel and luckily it opens up.

Mic’s throat contracts as she sees the blood on the table and on the floor. Sara’s one arm is bent strangely and her body is covered in bruises and sizzling skin.

“I said no one was ...” Lexi begins as she applies medigel to Sara’s bruised and broken body.

“Fuck off,” Mic interrupts.

Lexi’s eyes grow wide as she stares at Mic.

“Mic...”

“What’s the situation?” Mic moves towards Sara, still dragging Jaal behind her.

“Bullet wounds, broken arm, second degree burns and she was stabbed in the abdomen. I’ve stopped the bleeding from the stab wound, but it still needs stitches. I’m applying medigel to the burns.”

“I’ll get the stitches done.”

“No. Take care of Jaal.”

Mic remembers that she is still holding Jaal’s hand and that he is bleeding. She turns to him, her eyes wide. Quickly she directs him towards the other cot, forces him to sit down and struggles with the clasp of his rofjinn. Her hands are trembling and her breathing has shortened, but she continues to fiddle with the clasp, her eyes darting towards Sara as her jaw clenches shut.

“Mic...” Jaal puts his bloody hand over hers and she stops fiddling with the clasp. With an expert hand, he unclasps the rofjinn. Mic’s eyes look up at his and he’s surprised to see the fear and determination in them. Her whole body is trembling, but she helps him take the rofjinn off and then takes off the armour around his wounded arm.

As quickly as she is able, she cleans the wound and applies the medigel, now seeing that it is a bullet hole. She continues to work on it, her breathing becoming even shorter, but she expertly bandages the wound up and puts his arm in a sling. When she is finished she looks up at him. He gives her a thankful and reassuring look, his bioelectricity conveying the same feeling.

With a nod from him, Mic turns around to Sara. Upon seeing some of the blood on the cot, Mic’s throat tightens, as does her mouth and she frowns at Lexi.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m healing the Pathfinder.”

“Why aren’t you stitching her up?”

“I have to ease her pain and take care of the worst damage before I can properly take care of her wounds individually. You know this.”

Mic grabs some of the tools standing on the table and prepares herself to help heal Sara. Her hands are still trembling and Lexi sees this, so she grabs Mic’s hands.

“You are in no condition to help.” Mic’s nose twitches at this and she glares at Lexi. Lexi is unfazed by the death glare and looks past Mic’s shoulder at Jaal. “Get her out of here immediately. As far away as possible.”

“No...” Mic mutters.

“I’m not debating this with you, Mic. Jaal...” Lexi raises her eyebrows at Jaal, before returning to take care of Sara.

Jaal throws his rofjinn over his shoulder and grabs Mic by the shoulder. She shrugs it off and glares at Lexi.

“I am not leaving her...” Mic states.

“Jaal...”

“Come, Mic.”

“NO! I will not leave!”

“Mic! You will do more harm than good in the state that you’re in. Get out now.”

Mic starts to fume, but as she looks at her trembling hands, she realizes that Lexi is right. So instead she storms out. She grunts slightly as the door slides close behind her.

“Go after her, Jaal. She shouldn’t be alone now,” Lexi says as she continues to work on Sara.

Jaal nods and goes after Mic, his arm burning as he moves.

“What happened?!!” Mic shouts at Reyes.

“I ... I miscalculated.”

“You what!?”

“The bombs went off at the wrong time ... I must have ... I should have double-checked,” Reyes crosses his arms and looks away, feeling, and looking, extremely guilty.

Mic grunts again, but it sounds more like a growl, before she shakes her head roughly and storms off of the Tempest.

“Holy shit! I never thought I’d be terrified of Mic,” Gil whispers next to Jaal.

“You’d be even more terrified if you knew what she’s like if she’s really angry...” Vetra added mysteriously.

Jaal ignored them as he rushed after Mic. She had picked up a pipe from the Tempest and was now standing on the elevator that went down to the slums, slamming the pipe in her hands. He took a place next to her before she activated the elevator.

“Mic, where are we going?”

“We? _We’re_ not going anywhere. _I’m_ going out.”

“Not alone.”

Mic’s face twitched again, but she didn’t say anything.

When the elevator stopped, Mic rushed towards the Nomad and climbed in, without even checking if Jaal was coming with. He tried his best to climb into the Nomad without using his injured arm too much. Luckily, Mic was patient and waited for Jaal, but she did not wait for him to get strapped in, before she started the engine.

The Nomad wheels spun in place before taking off at breakneck speed. Jaal grabbed onto the side of the Nomad as Mic pushed the Nomad over hills. Neither of them knew where she was going, but Mic knew what she needed, or rather, wanted.

Jaal wanted to reach out and calm her, but her fuming face scared him off, so instead he held on.

The ride was quiet for a long time, but then Mic suddenly turned and drove towards an open field with a solitary tree in the middle. Jaal watched them approach the tree but flew forwards as she rammed the breaks.

Without saying a word, Mic jumped out of the Nomad, holding the pipe like a weapon, and rushed towards the tree. Jaal tried to figure out what her plans were, when she suddenly screamed and charged at the tree. He watched as she used the pipe to decimate the tree and the surrounding area. Never had he seen such a display of rage and for the first time since he met Mic, he was truly terrified of her.

“FUCK!! FUCK THIS SHIT!! Why do they all leave me? What did I do for fuck’s sake!? What do you want from me?!” Mic shouts at the sky, before continuing her onslaught on the tree.

Jaal moves towards her, his arm outstretched, but he is lost as to what to do. Before he can decide though, Mic slams her hand against the tree and lets the pipe fall out of her hands. She starts to sob and Jaal runs towards her, catching her as she falls to the ground.

Tears are streaming down her face as she cries. Jaal holds her close to him, his arm protesting from the pressure of Mic’s body against him.

“They all leave me, Jaal. Am I a horrible person that they are all taken from me?” she cries.

“No, Mic. You are not a horrible person,” he tries to comfort her, but she barely hears him as she continues to weep.

Jaal releases a wave of bioelectricity that is supposed to comfort her. She leans into him and holds on tightly to his armour as he drapes his rofjinn over her. Mic curls into him until she is seated in his lap, his rofjinn keeping her warm.

For almost half an hour, she sits cradled in Jaal’s lap, crying and holding onto him. He keeps sending soothing bioelectricity towards her and strokes her hair, surprised at how soft it is, even as it is still tied up. When she finally calms down enough, she just sits there, sniffing every now and then and not looking at Jaal.

Jaal is worried about her and puts his chin on her head, gently humming, trying to make her comfortable so that she will talk to him.

He expects her to start telling him what is going on, but instead she starts laughing a little hysterically.

“I’m sorry. You don’t deserve all of this trouble,” she says, wiping her tears away and trying to get out of his embrace.

Jaal shakes his head and instead holds onto her, stopping her from leaving him. “You need not apologize, Mic. You will never be trouble.”

“You sure about that? Because, I mean, here we’re sitting, on Kadara, a place you hate, and you’re dealing with my emotional shit,” Mic chuckles humourlessly.

“I could be in far worse situations than comforting a beautiful woman,” he simply says and this makes Mic actually chuckle.

“You’re smooth... And I’m a mess,” she hides her face in his chest and shakes her head.

“That’s all right...” He says as he continues to stroke her hair. “Mic?” Jaal asks, unsurely.

“Hmm?”

“What were you talking about when you said that everyone leaves you?”

Mic stiffens and Jaal hopes that he does not cause her to shut off and push him away.

“Oh God, Jaal. Do you really care?” she asks, shaking her head.

“Of course I do. You are my ... my friend. I want to help,” he says simply, his chin resting on her head and his arm wrapping around her. “You need not carry your burdens alone.”

Mic is silent for a long time, her face still hidden in his armour. She finally lifts her head, looking straight at him.

“You really want to go down that road with me?” she asks, her entire demeanor conveying a defeated sigh.

Jaal cups her face with his hand and gives her a smile, “Yes.” He softly mutters.

She sighs heavily, leaning into his touch and closing her eyes. For a moment she seems lost, but then she starts telling him everything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to show how much Mic actually cares for Sara. She might not ever show it or say anything that might seem like she cares, but when something happens to her closest friends, she kind of loses it. So hopefully that is clear from this chapter.
> 
> The next chapter will be the history of Mic up and until the Hyperion docked at the Nexus, most of her history at least and hopefully that'll show why Mic acts in a certain why and how her past has defined her and how much she's grown since then.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed it :)


	12. Chapter 12

Mic had grown up in Africa, in one of the more rural areas of the continent. Her family were conservative, purist and racist, believing that aliens were a disease on the galaxy and that only humans were deserving of it. She had disagreed with them a lot as a child, but they manipulated her into thinking that her thoughts were coming from the devil, forcing her silence.

For years she lived under their thumb, not saying anything about all of their outbursts against aliens. That was, until she went to college and met many of the aliens that she was supposed to hate. In the beginning she was a little hostile towards them, but she grew past it when she met a quarian. Keen’Caenn vas Forgo was a genius in biology and helped her a lot with her studies. They had become great friends and later they dated. She took him home to meet her parents, hoping that meeting him would change their minds. 

It didn’t.

Instead they were both chased out of the house, Mic’s parents and sister throwing all kinds of slurs her way and calling her a blood traitor. They left her house and Mic was surprised when Keen stayed with her. They went back to college together and Mic was lucky to get accepted into the Alliance as a scientist. Keen was called back to the Fleet. Their break up was mutual, both knowing that it would be for the best.

She did keep in touch with him for years, they shared photos and stories about their friends and she even helped him plan his proposal to his wife. She even helped him choose names for his children and met them via vidcall. Their contact dwindled after a few years until they barely spoke anymore.

Mic made friends in the Alliance. Very good friends. And with luck, they were all posted to the Proto Labs on an Alliance planet on the edge of the galaxy. The labs were secluded and highly classified. Very few people knew of its existence, since all kinds of prototypes were made on the planet. Bombs, tech gadgets, computer viruses, medicine and all manner of weapons were either being made or products were made to counter their effects. 

Mic and her friends enlarged their group on the Proto Labs until they were 11 in total. There were the three tech experts, Linda, Jason and Lenny, the three electrical engineers, Garrett, Two and Amy, an asari, Lily, that worked in collaboration with the biotic experts, a supervisor, Adam, that helped them get out of trouble, or helped them cause it, and Mic with her two friends, Alik, a salarian who had special permission to join them, and Zevra, who worked in the biological labs. They had gotten up to all kinds of antics, spiking the supervisors and janitors drinks on separate occasions, sneaking off to go skinny dipping in a lake a few miles away and also partying in their quarters.

_Jaal chuckled at the last example, remembering the video Mic had shared with him._

Mic and her friends were a true family. Helping each other with heart break, financial problems, addictions and even with their work. They sometimes shared labs to improve their prototypes by adding another element to them.

It was on a night when most of them were sharing a lab that it all went to hell.

Mic and most of her friends were working in the bomb labs, finishing up the last bit of their work before they all left together on holiday the next morning. Only Garrett, Two and Amy were in the barracks, packing the last bit of their luggage for the trip.

“Bitch, you can’t just throw one dangerous virus at another and hope they eat each other up. Science don’t work that way,” Mic was chastising Lenny as he fiddled with her microscope. She swatted his hands away and glared at him. “Go bother Adam. He might actually need your help.”

Lenny walked away, mumbling something about her being full of shit. Mic laughed at him and checked on the virus through her microscope. She and her friends were working on a cure for a biological bomb and the progress was slow. The rest of the bomb lab was quiet, safe for a few other bomb experts. 

They had no warning as the door to their lab suddenly burst open and mercenaries came charging in. They had been trained to fight off anyone who broke in and prevent them from taking anything from the Proto Labs, but they had never expected to actually need that training.

The firefight was a nightmare. Lenny was shot first, his eyes staring at Mic as he lay dead on the floor. She ducked behind her work station, taking her gun out and frantically checking if her other friends were shot yet. Linda was holding her arm tightly, blood already oozing through her fingers.

Mic and the rest of the scientists were holding the mercenaries at bay, some of them being gunned down while others were seriously injured. She had also been shot in the arm, but it was only a graze, so she kept on fighting.

It went on for a few minutes, but the scientists were losing and all of them knew that it would be a disaster if the mercenaries got any of the bombs. Mic was trying her best to protect her friends, but a lot of them were shot and bleeding out. Zevra had saved her life when she pulled Mic behind her, taking a bullet for her. Mic was crying and trying her best to kill the mercenaries, but it was hopeless.

“Meerkat! Get to cover! NOW!” Adam shouted at her. She turned to him, where he was situated by his shrapnel bomb. He was activating it, but looked at her for a moment and smiled ruefully, “I love you, Meerkat.”

“NO!” Mic shouted as he pressed a button and the entire lab was engulfed in flames. Lily barely got a shield up in time to protect her, Mic and Alik, but she was just too slow as Mic’s left arm and leg was aflame and shrapnel was sticking out of her arm. A large piece of metal was jutting out of her abdomen. She was screaming in pain as Alik tried to stabilize her. His own arm was bleeding from a gunshot wound, but he had a makeshift bandage wrapped around it. Lily was struggling to hold the shield up as the lab continued to burn, the flames burning hotter than normal.

It took a few minutes for the rescue team to get to them. By that time, Lily had passed out from exertion. Mic had luckily noticed a flame extinguisher on the wall and Alik used it on the flames surrounding them.

Mic and her friends had been rushed to the infirmary. She barely survived the operation to remove the shrapnel from her abdomen and her arm and leg were in a very bad condition. Lily was hydrated and put to bed and Alik’s arm was cleaned and bandaged up.

She had been unconscious for days and her friends did not leave her bedside, except for Lily. She had disappeared the day she was able to walk again and none of her friends knew where she had went.

A few days later, they held a funeral for the friends they lost, Mic being carted around in a wheelchair. The facility was compromised, so they did not stay long at the Proto Labs. Mic was transported to a medical facility, while her friends were relocated. Mic had also been discharged from the Alliance, but they had organized to pay for her treatment.

For the next two years, Mic had undergone physical therapy for her injured arm and leg. She had gotten treatment to replace her damaged cells, but it still left scars on her body.

In the meantime, Two and Amy had gotten married and started a family on Earth. Alik was unreachable as he was working at another classified lab. Garrett had resigned from the Alliance and was working at a university as a professor. They had all driven slightly apart, but were still talking every now and again. She saw Two and Amy’s children grow up and even babysat them once. Garrett was the only one who ever really called her and they remained close friends.

_Jaal was slightly jealous at how fondly Mic spoke of Garrett, but he did not interrupt her._

Mic had healed adequately and was working at a private research lab for an ingenious salarian scientist. She was the only one who could handle his outbursts and his days of silence. When he was asked for the Initiative, he begged her to join him. She agreed and then went to see Garrett. He was also eager to go to Andromeda and they held a party to say their goodbyes to Alik, Amy and Two. No one could get a hold of Lily.

She had called Keen to let him know and he was excited for her. They never spoke again.

While preparing for their voyage, Mic had met Sara at the mess hall and they had made friends over their shared interest in Prothean sites. Neither of them were experts, but they still found it fascinating. Garrett had met Sara a few times and he liked her. 

They had laughingly stepped into the cryo pods, but when they awoke, it was chaos on the Nexus. Mic was woken for her medical knowledge and to replace her employer, who had died in the crossfire. Garrett was one of the few engineers who was capable of fixing some of the electrical problems, so he was woken with her. She had protected him when he worked, but while he was running diagnostics on one of the panels, the rebels had cornered them.

“I take the left and you take the right, Meerkat,” Garrett shouted as he took a hold of his pistol.

“Sure.”

The skirmish was not serious, but while Garrett was reloading, Mic saw a rebel sneaking up on him and she was too late to stop him from being stabbed by an omni blade.

“NOOOO!!!”

Her heart shattered as the last of her family died and she was silent for a moment. Then all hell broke loose. Mic had eradicated the rebels in their vicinity and continued to wreak havoc wherever she was stationed. Some of the krogan were unconvinced that she could be useful whenever she was stationed with them, but then she would surprise them and they gave her a few proud pats on the back, before continuing with their onslaughts. She also became valuable to them since she knew how to stitch them up. After the uprising, she had been given an apartment for her efforts.

She had not been able to say goodbye to Garrett, but she was able to give him a proper funeral when they posted her on Eos, at Site 1. She was the only one at his funeral, so no one had been there to hear her heart breaking screams.

An adhi pack had attacked the outpost once and she had been one of the few who could take them down. She ran after them when they retreated and eradicated the pack, along with a few other security guards. When she got back to the outpost, everyone was gone. The Initiative then decided to keep her on the Nexus, since she was seen as a hero for fighting in the uprising. It wouldn’t be good for morale if they lost a Nexus hero.

For the rest of her time on the Nexus, she would sit alone in her apartment, only going out when she was needed in the labs or was asked to take care of someone. Her apartment was always dark and she gave some of her rations to the other scientists when she found that they weren’t eating enough.

When Sara came, she got out of her apartment and with the lights on again, she felt hopeful that things were going to get better for the first time in months. 


	13. Chapter 13

“So, yeah. I lost everyone who had been family to me. This is all I have left of them,” She said as she held her necklace up for him to see. It was the dogtags of each of her friends, melted into an intricate pattern of a lotus flower. “And now Sara is laying in the med bay... I can’t help but feel that she is also going to die...” Tears were welling up in her eyes as she leaned against Jaal again. He stroked her hair as she sobbed slightly, the memories flooding her mind. “Maybe I’m not meant to have a family...” she softly whispers.

Jaal’s eyes grew and he immediately grabbed her gently by the chin, lifting her head so that she looked directly at him. For a moment he is lost in her eyes. Her eyes has turned into a darker green and her hair had gotten loose from her outburst earlier and was curling around her face. The curls, along with her slightly open mouth and sad eyes, made her features softer and she was so vulnerable.

“You do deserve a family, Mic... You have had to endure so much, much of it alone. It is time you got a new family...” He wondered for a moment if what he was about to do now was wise, considering how long it takes Mic to warm up to somebody, but he decided that it was worth the risk, “My family would be glad to have you.”

Mic’s eyes grew and she stiffened. She stared at Jaal, only to see the earnest in his eyes. She couldn’t believe that he would so casually offer her his family, especially since she knew how much the angara valued their families.

“What?”

“You could become a part of my family. My mother would adore you.”

Mic chuckled and took her head out of his hand, shaking it.

“I highly doubt that, Jaal. I’m not nice.”

Jaal took her face back into his hand and turned her so that she was looking at him again.

“You are endearing ... “

Mic chuckled again, but didn’t move her head, “Really? You thought I was endearing after meeting me for the first time?”

Jaal smiled, not entirely agreeing with her, “When I met you, you were cold, that is true. But when I saw you on Havarl, the way your face lit up at the view and how you were entranced by the beauty, I knew that you couldn’t be so cold as everyone assumes you are. On Voeld, you saw a beauty in the storm that no one else could see. That makes you endearing.”

Mic’s eyes started to tear up again and she dropped her head, pressing it slightly against his chest. His whole body vibrated at the feeling of being so close to her.

She interrupted his serenity when she softly muttered, “Why the fuck are you being so nice to me?”

He rested his chin on her head again, wrapping his good arm around her and smiled, “Because I like you... And I think you deserve to be happy.”

“Happy? After all I’ve done? I killed so many people on the Nexus, Jaal... Some of them didn’t deserve to die.”

“And how many of my people have I killed?”

“That is different. The kett...”

“Not the kett. The Roekaar.”

Mic was silent as she breathed him in. She loved his smell. Her eyes opened wide at that thought and she stiffened again. 

Jaal was also sniffing her hair and enjoyed the warm, inviting scent that wafted into his nostrils. He did not know the smell, but it made him feel at home. It was her smell and therefore he knew he would love it forever.

“You did what was necessary on the Nexus.”

“How would you know?” she muttered into his chest.

“I trust in your judgment.”

“Even if it is screwed by the loss of a loved one?”

Jaal feels the pang of jealousy again, but ignores it to nod his head, “Yes.”

Mic shakes her head again and moves so that she can look up at him.

_God, when did he become so ... gorgeous? Those eyes ... I was going somewhere with this._

Mic closes her eyes to focus and then opens them to stare into his infinite eyes. She is entranced by them for a while, unable to focus and barely notices him cupping her face again. Involuntarily, she leans into his touch and they both smile at each other.

Mic remembers what she wanted to say and her lips straighten, “You have too much faith in me.”

Jaal smiles and Mic feels a flutter in her stomach.

_What the fuck was that?_

“I think you underestimate yourself, Mic.”

She stares at him for a while, her eyes narrowing. After scrutinizing him, and him twitching under her gaze, worried that he insulted her, she looks away. Her shoulders drop as she stares into the distance.

“I’m surprised you stayed this long...”

“I would never leave you...”

Mic was silent again. “You know ... at this point, you know more about me than anyone else in existence.”

“Really?” Jaal was excited by the idea of knowing her best ... But he also felt that he didn’t even really know that much about her.

“Yeah,” she turned to look straight at him, “So ... what’s one more secret?” She added with a shrug of her shoulders. Jaal stared at her, his eyes big and inquisitive, waiting for her to continue. “My name isn’t really Mic... It’s just a nickname that my teachers gave me. My full name is Miraen Isera Carter.”

Jaal relaxed at the revelation, smiling gratefully at her. “It is a beautiful name...” 

Mic smiled shyly, bending her head. She gave an involuntary sniffle, which made Jaal tighten his hold on her. 

“You think Sara is okay?” Mic asked, the smile gone from her voice.

“I trust Dr. Lexi... And Sara is a strong woman. She will be fine.”

Mic pouts, wondering why she is suddenly so emotional. She looks directly at Jaal’s chest and then realizes that she has been sitting in his lap for a long time now. His arm is awkwardly pressing against her side and she notices his slight wince when she moves.

“Oh shit! Jaal!” Mic jumps up, Jaal’s rofjinn falling from her shoulders. Jaal whines slightly at the sudden release, sad that Mic’s warmth had left him.

“What is wrong?” He asks concerned.

“Why didn’t you say anything?” Jaal’s eyebrows draw together in confusion. “Your arm? You’re in pain and I just made it soo much worse. Oh my God. I’m so sorry. Fuck, this day is a bloody disaster... I can’t do anything right,” she softly whispers to herself, kicking the tree that was practically wilting next to them.

Jaal realizes why she left his presence so quickly, still unhappy about it, but he stands up, grabbing her hands in his. 

“That is untrue..”

“Oh, you’re not in pain?” She asks, tilting her head slightly in disbelief.

“Ah, yes... That is true, but you didn’t do anything wrong...”

Mic’s lips tightened and her eyes narrowed as she stared at Jaal. Her hands were very warm now, but she barely noticed as Jaal’s intense stare bore into her soul. She shook her head to break the trance and saw Jaal’s rofjinn lying at their feet. She bent down to pick it up, Jaal softly cursing that he couldn’t hold her hand anymore.

“This would be yours,” she simply said, draping it across his shoulders. She had to stand on her tiptoes to get it across his shoulders, leaning into Jaal’s chest. His scent engulfed her senses and she looked up into his eyes, freezing for a moment, before continuing to wrap it around his shoulders. When she came to the clasps, she froze, frowning at them and remembering how she struggled to unclasp it a few hours ago.

Jaal deftly clasped the rofjinn tight, before smiling towards her.

“I can’t even tie a ... rofjinn?” She questions her use of the last word, wondering if she had heard him right when he had spent time with Liam. He softly chuckled. “We should get back. I have to see ...” She turned around and walked briskly back towards the Nomad.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This isn't as long as I thought it would be, but it's mostly just to show Jaal supporting Mic and working on their relationship. He wants Mic to be open and at this point she's as open as she has ever been to anyone, but she closes up again when the moment is over, slightly annoyed that she showed any sign of vulnerability.


	14. Chapter 14

Mic was sitting next to Sara in the med bay. It had been hours since she and Jaal had returned from the surface of Kadara and she had not left her side. Jaal hadn’t said much on their ride back, seeing Mic return to her old, quieter self. He was disappointed. He had hoped to see her talk with vigor or to hear her laugh again, but he knew that she was worried about Sara. So when they had arrived back at the ship, he helped her grab a chair, place it next to Sara and even got her something to drink. She had apologized profusely that he had to get her something when he was injured, but he just shrugged it off, telling her that he was glad to do it.

After a few hours, she laid her head down on the cot and fell asleep. Jaal walked in to check up on her and smiled at her resting face. He draped his rofjinn over her and she grunted at the welcoming warmth. Jaal placed his hand on her shoulder, reveling in the comforting vibrations that they shared.

Jaal leaned into the touch, bending down to take a whiff of her hair again. He wanted to bask in the scent and get lost in the warmth it invoked in him. Without thinking about it, he placed his lips on her head, taking another long sniff of her hair, before he stood up, only to look into Sara’s smiling eyes. 

“What ... was that?” Sara whispered, her smile growing at his shocked face. 

Jaal let his hand lift from Mic’s shoulder and walked closer to Sara. He bent over her so that Mic would not hear their conversation.

“I am ... very fond of your friend, but ... I do not wish to scare her away.”

Sara chuckled, but it caused a cough to rise in her chest. Mic woke up and rushed to her side, almost pushing Jaal out of her way. His rofjinn was still draped around her shoulders. 

“How are you feeling?” Mic demanded, her eyes big with concern.

“Smothered.”

Mic was silent for a while, her eyes narrowing at Sara, before she leaned over her face and whispered, “Fuck you.”

Sara chuckled again, which resulted in another cough. Mic worriedly checked the scans, but Sara grabbed her hand to reassure her.

“Chill. I’ll live.”

“You almost didn’t, fuckface,” Mic slapped her arm, looking distressed.

“But I did.”

“Not the fucking point... Be. More. Careful... I’m going to let Lexi know you’re alive,” Mic squeezed Sara’s hand and left the room. When she was outside, she noticed the rofjinn and quickly took it off, folding it gently as she fetched Lexi. She couldn’t resist to take a whiff of the material, reveling in the smell.

Jaal waited for the doors to close, before he turned back to Sara and whispered, “She was very worried about you. It was ... terrifying ... to see.” Sara frowned, confused at Jaal’s choice of words. Jaal looked directly at her, his eyes growing, “Suffice it to say, she almost broke... Luckily, it takes a lot more than worry to break her.” He looked away thoughtfully.

Sara stared at him and then grabbed his arm, “You know what happened to her?” Jaal nodded his head. “Holy shit! I don’t even know.” She laughed and shook her head. “That’s fantastic. But Jaal...” He turned to her, “Break her heart and I will hurt you.”

He smiled and nodded his head again, smiling a little smugly, “No offense, Ryder, but I’m more afraid of what Mic would do to me.”

The both of them laughed at this as Lexi came into the med bay.

“I’m glad to see you’re feeling better, Sara.”

“Yeah I am, all thanks to you, Doctor. So, when can I get back on my feet?”

“Really?” Mic asked.

“A week or so.”

“Oh...”

“Disappointed?” Mic asked as she busied herself with one of Sara’s bandages.

“Yeah. I still wanted to solve the issue with the Collective and the Outcasts.”

“That can wait,” Lexi added.

“Yeah. Let’s get back to the Nexus in the meantime. Stock up and see what’s going on there.”

“A the savior continues, unhindered by injury,” Mic comments as she smiles at Sara.

“And ready to solve the problems of the galaxy,“ Jaal adds. 

* * *

It was dark in the med bay. The continuous beeping of the monitors kept Mic awake as she sat at Lexi’s desk, typing away at a report of her findings of some of the plants on Kadara. She hadn’t left Sara’s side since they departed from Kadara. Jaal left her in the med bay, giving her a quick hug and then went to bed. Her skin still tingled from his touch, but she ignored it as best she could. She hated sharing things with people and always felt weak afterwards so this solitude, even if Sara was in the room, was perfect for her.

Sara woke up at the sound of typing and annoyed sighing coming from her right. She opened her eyes slowly and watched Mic work for quite some time. She didn’t really feel like talking to Mic right now, assuming that she would be in for another lecture from one of her crew. 

So she tried to fall asleep again, but was kept awake by her thirst. She released a small cough, to which Mic immediately spun around to investigate. Mic saw Sara eyeing her with a little hostility, but stood up nonetheless.

“What’s wrong?” Mic asked her.

“Drink,” Sara coughed.

Mic turned to the table and poured Sara a drink from the bottle. She added a straw and held it for Sara. Sara rolled her eyes at the gesture, but took a grateful sip. When she had quenched her thirst, Mic put the glass down and sat down on the cot.

“You okay?” Mic asked.

“Sure.”

Mic lifted her one eyebrow in disbelief and Sara grunted in annoyance.

“I’m tired, but can’t sleep and my stomach hurts. Happy?” She barked at Mic.

Mic heard the bite in her tone and frowned, but she turned to the monitors and gave Sara a dose of painkillers, strong enough to take the pain away, but not strong enough to knock her out.

“Better?” Mic asked.

Sara gave a slight nod and then looked away from Mic.

“What’s wrong?” Mic asked again.

“I’m fine.”

“You’re being bitchy.”

“Maybe I just feel like being bitchy.”

Mic stared at her friend, frowning and noticing her discomfort. “Maybe you have a problem with me being here?”

Sara’s eyebrows twitched, “Maybe.”

Mic’s frown deepened as she stared at her friend. “Why?”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“Yes, it does. You’re one of the few friends I have left alive and I can’t lose you.”

Sara stares at Mic, her eyes narrowing, “You sure you’re my friend?”

Mic felt the sting of those words going through her heart. She retreated slightly and looked shocked at Sara. Sara saw the pain in her eyes and immediately regretted her words.

“Mic… I di-”

“You think I’m _not_ your friend!?”

“It’s not that, Mic, it’s just ….” Sara grunts as she throws her head back in frustration. She lifts her hands and buries her face in them. “I fucked up again...” She adds softly.

Mic still feels the pain of Sara’s words, but at her last words, she softens and takes Sara’s hands in her own. She pries them away from her face and looks directly at Sara, a worried frown on her forehead.

“When did you fuck up?” Sara’s face becomes expressionless as she points at herself. Mic understands her meaning and shakes her head. “Oh sure, you going out to solve murders and exacting justice for your people and those that help them and then getting hurt because Reyes’ timing sucks is a prime example of all of your failings.”

Sara groans again and takes her hands out of Mic’s, “There you go again. Making everything seem so simple as if I didn’t fuck up.”

“Maybe it’s just because you didn’t fuck up.”

“I did! I was sloppy and got hurt and now I can’t fix everything because I have to recover!”

“How were you sloppy?” Mic asks with a calm tone.

“I-I… I don’t know... I wasn’t paying attention to my surroundings. I wasn’t fast enough to stop the angaran that stabbed me. I didn’t survey my area and noticed the bombs. I could have… I could have-”

“From what I’ve heard, you couldn’t. There was no time to survey the area. There was no reason for you to think that the angaran was stupid enough to stab the Pathfinder. And when they did, your mind didn’t have time to process that before the bombs went off. That, along with your injury, caused you to fall and no one can blame you for that. You got stabbed, for fuck’s sake,” Mic says as she throws her hands in the air.

“Well, I’m pretty sure you could’ve done _sooo_ much better…”

Mic stares at her friend, shocked to hear her say something like that. “Done better? Why would you think I could have done better?” Sara is quiet as she fidgets with the blanket over her torso, avoiding Mic’s gaze. “Sara? What do you mean by that?”

“You always seem to know just what to do about everything. You have a plan for everything. You got the angarans on Havarl to like you within two hours of being on the planet. It took me a day.” Sara lifts herself into a sitting position as she continues, “You were calm on Aya, not showing any sign of weakness and on Kadara… You ooze confidence and comfort while at the same time anyone who looks at you knows not to mess with you… And I’ve seen the security footage of you on the Nexus during the Uprising… You were a machine on the battlefield, expertly taking out everyone. God, even Drack knows about you and Kesh spoke about your ‘prowess in battle’… Clearly you could’ve done better. You would’ve made the perfect Pathfinder,” Sara bursts.

Mic’s eyes grow as Sara continues to talk about how she is able to look at everything so clearly and calmly. When she falls silent, Mic stares at her.

“You know about the Nexus shit?” Mic asked with wide eyes. Sara nods. “And that made you think that I am capable of being a Pathfinder?”

“Yeah. You would’ve been so calm about everything and have been able to … inspire confidence with just a look… I suck at this...”

Mic leaned away from Sara, surprised at her revelation.

“You really think I would have been good at it? Me?” Sara nods. “The one person capable of insulting people by just talking to them?”

Sara breathes out of her nose in exasperation, “That is not what I meant. You have this way with people that makes them respect you. You can clearly see the way out with a lot of things and the best course of action for dealing with people. I can’t do that...”

“And the only reason I seem to be good at it, is because I’m objective. Look, I only seem capable, because I’m not invested in these things or the one making the decisions!”

The two of them stare at each other for a while, both breathing loudly and then Sara starts to chuckle.

“I’m hopeless,” she says as she falls back onto the cot.

“You’re not… And for what it’s worth, I think you make the right decisions most of the time.” Mic stands up and crosses her arms.

“Most of the time?” Sara asks with lifted eyebrows.

Mic shrugs, “I don’t know about all of your decisions… And Reyes is becoming a problem for me...” She glares at the wall for a moment.

Sara punches Mic lightly on the arm and they chuckle together. 

Mic frowns and looks at Sara with a concerned look.

“What?” Sara asks.

“Sara… Are you okay?”

Sara stares at Mic, “What do you mean?”

“How long have you been feeling like this?”

Sara looks away for a moment and then shakes her head, “I don’t know… Were you always such a know-it-all?”

Mic pouts for a second and then nods, “Unfortunately.” Sara chuckles and they are silent again.

The two of them stay awkwardly in their spots for a while, until Mic moves, placing her hands on the cot and staring intently at Sara.

“I’m sorry, Sara. I know I can be … a know-it-all. And I try to be confident and get carried away sometimes… It’s not like I try to be like this, I just… I don’t know,” Mic says as she looks away.

Sara puts a comforting hand on Mic’s hand.

“We’re both hopeless idiots...”

Mic chuckles and takes Sara’s hand in hers, but then Mic’s face falls again. Sara squeezes her hand and Mic looks at her.

“It’s okay. You’re just special and I’m jealous.”

Mic pulls back in shock and she frowns in disbelief, “Jealous?! OF what?”

Sara stares at her, “Of you? The way you handle stuff and shit? We just had this discussion...”

Mic shakes her head, “That’s crazy. I’m just a scientist and you’re the Pathfinder that is shaping the fate of the galaxy. I’m just a background character in your saga… You are the one that continues to amaze everyone and solve everyones problems. God only knows you’re the only one that can.”

“You think so?” Sara asks a little shyly.

Mic looks seriously at her friend, “Well, they haven’t been able to do shit in the many months that they have been here and things are looking up ONLY because you’re here and whipping everyone into shape. So, yeah. You’re the only one that can… Oh, powerful Pathfinder.” Mic bows her head slightly and Sara smiles.

They squeeze hands and smile at each other.

Mic is still frowning though and quietly asks, “Are we good?”

Sara’s smile grows, “Yeah, we’re good.”

“You sure? Because I don’t want you to ever feel like you’re not good enough to be the Pathfinder, because you’ve done so much for this galaxy and you’re the only thing keeping it together.”

Sara lets out a humourless chuckle, “I doubt that.”

Mic smiles, “Okay, maybe not solely you, but… It’s mostly you.”

They smile at each other and then Sara opens her arms wide in a gesture for a hug. Mic complies and buries her face in Sara’s shoulder.

“Please don’t ever think I or anyone else would be a better Pathfinder. We’re not the Pathfinder and we’ll never be. You are amazing at this. No one can ever replace you.”

Mic pulls away from the hug and sees Sara smiling and a few tears in her eyes.

“Thank you, Mic… That means a lot to me.”

“Anytime, Pathfinder.”

Sara holds Mic’s hands in hers and stare at her friend. “I’m sorry about Garrett, Mic… I know how you felt about him.”

Mic feels the lump in her throat growing, but she manages a smile. “You saw it all?”

“Only a little. I saw him getting stabbed and you … What happened, Mic? You haven’t told me anything about what happened on the Nexus...”

Mic takes a deep breath and stares determinedly at her friend, “You want the whole story or just the summary?”

“All of it.”

“Then move over, this is going to take a while,” Mic says as she sits down on the side of the cot.

For the next hour or so, Mic tells Sara her entire life story and everything she can remember about the Uprising. Sara is surprised at the story, hugging Mic tightly when she finishes and wonders how Mic was able to stay sane.

“You’ve talked to Lexi about this?” Sara asks when Mic has finished and they’ve been silent for a while.

“Most of it. Telling her is … I don’t want to share all of my gruesome details with her. There are some things even your doctor shouldn’t know about.”

“And me?”

Mic turns to look at Sara. “If you ask, I will tell. But you should focus on being the Pathfinder. You don’t need any other distractions. Especially the ones you can’t change.”

“You’re not a distraction, Mic.”

“It’s not about that. You will break if you have to carry everyone’s problems and secrets. I’m your friend and I should make your life easier, not harder and more complicated.” She sees Sara gearing up to argue with her, so she quickly adds, “Listen to me. You’re carrying this entire cluster and adding my issues is unfair to you. Don’t worry about me. I will survive. I’ve done a remarkable job so far.”

Sara chuckles at Mic as she gestures dramatically with her hand. She stares at her friend, who’s changed so much, and surprisingly so little, in a few months, wondering how she’s managed to survive.

For a moment she thinks about telling Mic that she should share everything with her and that she’s prepared to help her carry her problems too, but then she remembers Jaal. Jaal who, only a few hours prior, sat with Mic and heard her entire story and, from what Sara could gleam from their earlier conversation, comforted Mic when she was worried for Sara’s life. Jaal who admitted that he had feelings for Mic. Jaal who Mic allows close to her. Jaal who somehow saw Mic actually cry. Sara smiles slyly as she remembers Mic’s roommate and wonders how she will get these two together. Mic shouldn’t carry her burdens alone anymore. She’s done so for long enough.

* * *

A day or so later, Mic and Jaal is sitting in the Cultural Centre, discussing the turians. He had accompanied her to the labs again, this time being allowed to enter the labs and hearing her discuss the microorganisms that causes allergic reactions. It was fascinating to listen to, even if he didn’t understand much of it.

After he had helped her to get to all of the scientists, she had got them drinks and then sat down in the corner of the Cultural Centre with him. They had discussed most of the species of the Milky Way, Mic sharing her personal experiences with each of the species. 

“You have met someone from every species?”

“I haven’t met them all, just most. I haven’t met any drell or ... uhm ... I forgot the name, but they are terrifying and huge. They are very rare so it’s not that weird that I haven’t met any. I also haven’t met many quarians. Just ... Keen ... and his family. Also no volus… You also met almost every species from the Milky Way. Most of them are here,” She gestured towards the rest of the Cultural Centre.

“I suppose I have. Who would you say are the most fascinating species?”

“Excluding yours?” she smiled and he chuckled, nodding. “I can’t really say. Every species has something unique about them. I admire krogans for their forwardness and strength. I respect the salarians for their intelligence, the asari for their power, the quarians for their tech and the turians for their strategies. They all have something, but they also have so much more to them.”

“And what about my people?” he asks, smiling, hoping to continue hearing her voice.

She smiles brightly, “I have to say ... your honesty and openness. You all tend to share everything, your hopes and dreams and all of your resources. You have an amazing sense of community. It isn’t something I know very well. We humans are very dull in comparison to everyone else.”

Jaal lifts his hand to touch her face, smiling softly, “And some of you are very fascinating.”

Mic’s insides are twisting with emotion as her breath is caught in her throat. She frowns slightly at the compliment, unused to such sincerity, but also because she doesn’t understand her feelings at the moment. It is entirely new to her, this surge of energy that goes through her every time she touches Jaal or when he’s close to her. She looks away for a moment, her mouth opening and closing as she scratches her neck.

Jaal smiles at her flustered expression, but is interrupted by Sara appearing behind them.

“I’m glad to see you took my advice. This seems cosy,” Sara says as she leans against the wall right next to Mic, groaning slightly at the pain. 

_Oh thank the gods. I have no idea what’s going on._

“It is. Mic has been very informative. Your galaxy sounds very exciting,” Jaal easily answers. 

“It is.”

“You should be in bed, Sara,” Mic commented, finally catching her breath.

“Oh, come on. You’re worse than Lexi. I’ll be fine.”

“Not the point. You shouldn’t be out.”

“I ... I went to see Scott...”

Mic’s face softens, “How is he?”

“Fine ... I guess... He’s stable.”

Sara stares into the distance as Mic watches her. She latches onto Sara’s leg, giving it a little squeeze, before turning to Jaal and giving him a raise of her brows.

“Who is this Scott?” he asks.

“He’s my brother. He got hurt when we got here. Hasn’t woken up yet,” Sara says, still looking into the distance.

“He’ll live. He’s too stubborn not to,” Mic says with a smile, looking up at Sara. Her face turns serious after a moment, “Don’t worry. I’ve read his report. He’s stable, healthy and in good hands.”

Sara smiles down at her, “Thanks.”

“Now fuck off and go to bed,” Mic slapped her leg, “We’re busy.”

“Well then. Sorry for interrupting ... whatever this is.” Sara gave Jaal a knowing wink, before turning towards the exit, limping slightly. 

Mic watched her go, with an extremely worried look. She scrutinized Sara’s walk, determining where it hurt most with a quick scan of Sara’s vitals. She didn’t take her gaze off of Sara until the doors closed behind her. Then she rested her head against the wall, staring at the doors.

“She is fine, Mic,” Jaal placed his hand on hers and this made her close her eyes, a smile forming on her face.

“I know, but ... “ She took a deep breath, opening her eyes and staring directly at Jaal, “I want to reassure myself that she is... But that’s not why we’re here is it?”

They shared a smile as they continued to discuss the different species.


	15. Chapter 15

For the next few days, Mic and Jaal continue to explore the Nexus together. Many people stop them and ask questions, which Jaal gracefully answers. At night, Mic goes to her apartment on the Nexus, a gift from the Initiative for her work, and her old mentor’s apartment. Jaal goes back to the Tempest, along with most of the crew and misses Mic’s presence in the tech lab.

On their last day, Mic fails to show up at their usual meeting spot, the Vortex, and Jaal is becoming concerned. He calls Sara, sounding slightly distressed.

“She is never late, Ryder.”

“Yeah, I know... But maybe she just lost track of time? ... But that’s not like her either... Tell you what. I’ll send you her apartment’s location, along with my access code. Go see if you can find out what’s happened to her. Call me if you find anything.”

“Will you not be joining me?” 

“Lexi threatened me, so now I’m staying in bed until we reach Kadara again. You’re on your own. Sorry,” Sara said with a shrug of her shoulders, trying to stop herself from giggling with excitement. Jaal and Mic has been spending a lot of time together and if she has to pretend to still be injured just so that they could spend more time together, she will.

Jaal thanked her and ended the call, rushing through the Nexus towards the apartments. It took him a while to find the right apartment and when he came to it, he was unsure of how to use the door. Luckily, he figured it out and rushed into Mic’s apartment. He felt guilty about just barging in, but he had to know where she was.

The open plan living, kitchen and dining room was sparsely decorated, just a few red and black things dotting the area. In the one corner was the door to the bedroom, closed, and Jaal rushed towards it. The door opened silently and Jaal was frozen on the spot. 

Mic was sprawled on the bed, taking up as much of the bed as her small body allowed. Her hair was spread all over the pillows, the white tips blending in with the rest of the bed. Jaal had never seen her with loose hair and the sight of her hair framing her face was magnificent. She seemed very peaceful and Jaal fought the urge to place a kiss on her soft, red lips. A soft snore escaped her lips and Jaal chuckled.

Mic jumped at the noise, staring at Jaal with wide eyes, a pistol in her hands. Jaal stared down the barrel of the pistol, his eyes locking onto Mic’s. When her mind had processed that it was just Jaal, she lowered her hand, her eyes closing as her head drooped.

“What are you doing in my apartment, Jaal?” she asked with a yawn.

“I was worried when you didn’t show.”

“Didn’t show?” Mic turned towards her clock, where her eyes grew in shock. “The fuck?!” She burst out laughing. “I can’t believe I overslept. It’s been so long,” she rubbed her eyes, the pistol placed under her pillow. “I’m sorry, Jaal.”

“No need to apologise. I was just worried.” Jaal leaned against the doorframe, “You seemed to have enjoyed yourself.”

Mic grunted happily and fell back against the bed, her hair spreading out around her head. “Immensely,” she added and put her hands over her face. She did not stay so for long when she looked through her fingers at him, an eyebrow lifted in question, “How the hell did you even get in?”

“Ryder gave me her access code.” Mic hummed in acknowledgement and closed her eyes again. “Are we going to explore the Nexus again today?” he asked, hoping she would walk around with him again. 

Mic moaned in displeasure and shook her head. “I’m in no mood for a lot of people and everyone seems to keep wanting to talk to you. So no.” Jaal look disappointed, which Mic saw through her fingers and she immediately took her hand away, “But it doesn’t mean that we can’t spend the whole day in my apartment.”

Jaals’ face lit up like the sun as his smile erupted. “That is a wonderful idea. Maybe you could tell me about the ’Sherlock’ Gil keeps talking about.”

Mic laughed as she remembered Gil exclaiming ‘No shit, Sherlock’ everytime someone says something obvious.

“Definitely. Every single version of him.” Jaal’s eyes grew at that, but Mic’s smile calmed him down. It was short lived as Mic threw a pillow at him and exclaimed, “Now get out so that I can get dressed.”

“I ... What? Why? Aren’t we spending the day together?” Jaal asked, confused.

Mic nodded her head and then frowned, “Yes, but I have to get dressed. So get out of the  _room_ .”

Jaal continued to stare at Mic and she realized that the angara might not mind changing clothes in front of each other as much as humans might. Which made her think of that fateful day on Voeld when Jaal walked into the tech lab naked. She shook her head to get the image out of her head and she smiled as she threw her blankets off of her to stand up. She walked towards him and stopped right in front of him, realizing for a moment that she is not wearing a bra and panicking mildly.

She pointed to herself as she said, “Humans, at least some of us, prefer dressing in private. And performing our morning rituals in private. I believe there are snacks in my fridge, so help yourself. I’ll be out in a bit.” She pushed Jaal away from the doorframe and the door closed.

* * *

The whole day long, Mic and Jaal sat on her couch, watching old Sherlock movies and talking about their crewmembers. Mic made them dinner, which Jaal eagerly ate up, explaining that food was always rationed and that the angara took as much food as they could when given the opportunity. She had sympathetically given him some of her own helping, while he refused profusely. Mic had laughed and just shook her head, explaining that the Initiative had been generous to her.

He also explained to her how his family held dinners and how much he missed it. In the middle of telling her about his family dinners, he suddenly stopped and looked directly at her.

“You should come home with me. My mother would love to meet you. Then you can experience a true angara dinner with me.”

“Uhm ... okay.”

“Wonderful! I’ll call my mother once we’re back on the ship again. It’s going to be fantastic. You’ll meet my entire family. They’ll love you...” Jaal continues to ramble on, talking about how much fun it is going to be, while Mic just smiles at him, listening at his wonderful voice.

* * *

The next day, Mic is standing on the bridge, watching as they return to Kadara Port. She and Jaal had talked till late the previous night, even drinking a bit, so she had to escort him back to the ship. He was slightly drunk and was leaning heavily on her, but she managed ... and giggled when his face was inches from hers. She had not realized that he had tried to kiss her, since his mind wasn’t even registering the desire, so she just said goodnight and went back to her apartment. 

Now, Jaal was still asleep in the tech lab, which Mic found out as she walked in and heard him snore loudly, and she had made her way to the bridge. Sara was standing next to her, enjoying the view as well, but mostly pestering Mic with questions about Jaal.

“So, what’s an angara like when they’re drunk?”

“He wasn’t really drunk... And a lot like many humans. Everything is hilarious and he’s off balance.”

“Did he try to do something?” Sara asked with a sly smile, clearly asking for something specific.

Mic frowned at her and shook her head, then stopped and nodded, “Yes. He tried to climb the plants in Hydroponics,” Mic laughs slightly at the memory and then activated her omni tool, “Look.”

Sara leaned over Mic’s shoulder, watching the vid of Jaal trying to climb onto the platform where a lot of the plants were grown. He was failing and then gave up, his face and torso lying between the plants.

“Miraaaaaaeeeeen! Help me! I’m stuck,” he begged. The rest of the video is Mic helping Jaal out of the plants and his exaggerated smile as she finally got him out.

“Hold up ... Did he call you ... ‘Miraen’?” Sara asked, looking dumbfounded at Mic.

Mic’s eyebrows lifted and she nodded, “Yeah? Don’t tell me you don’t know that ‘Miraen’ is my actual name?” Sara’s eyes grew and she slightly shook her head. Mic closed her eyes and shook her head, “You are a worthless friend.” She laughed and soon Sara joined her. “And what have you been doing on your shore leave? Sitting, bored out of your mind, on your bed and hoping for someone to ask you to solve their life problems?”

Sara gave Mic a small smile and then dropped her head shyly, turning slightly away from Mic. She swung around back to Mic, bit on her lip and then blurted out, “I spoke to Reyes every day.”

“You what?” Mic asked, surprised that the recent events didn’t affect them.

“He called me first, asking how I was. It escalated to an hour long talk about what we’re doing... We even discussed you. You know, I think he’s afraid of you.”

Mic chuckled at the thought of Reyes being afraid of her, but then she pulled her thoughts back to Sara’s newly forming relationship, “You two are very fond of each other. Just don’t let him get you hurt again.” Mic’s face hardened as she said that.

Sara also hardened her face as she turned to Mic, “It wasn’t his fault. It was an accident.”

Mic could see her friend slipping from her and knew that if she continued to blame Reyes, even after he admitted that it  _was_ partially his fault, Sara would shun her. It was not something she wanted to happen. So instead of saying that even he admitted it, she simply shook her head for a moment and then nodded.

“I know. I know. I just ... He was the easy target ... I wasn’t thinking.” She took a deep breath, “I apologize. And I’ll even apologize to Reyes when I see him again.” Sara’s face softened again and she grabbed Mic’s hands. “Okay, I’m forgiven. Now, let’s go to your room and discuss this alluring man that has made off with your heart.”

“Shhhh. Don’t say it out loud,” Sara blurted out, shutting Mic’s mouth with her hand.

A laugh still erupted from Mic, but Sara led her out of the bridge and towards her room.


	16. Chapter 16

The rest of their visit to Kadara Port was mostly uneventful. As uneventful as one can call the ending of the troubles between the Collective and the Outcasts, improving the environment of the planet, getting rid of most of the problems on Kadara and even for Sara to fall deeply in love. Mic watched all of this happen from the sidelines, her heart panicking whenever Sara and Jaal left Kadara Port for the rest of the planet. She even breathed a heavy sigh of relief when she saw Jaal’s rofjinn fluttering in the wind. 

Mic had noticed how Jaal tended to stay up longer and wake up earlier, at the expense of his sleep. She had tried to admonish him for it, but he just shrugged his shoulders and continued his work on his rifle. They had spent more time together on the ship, telling each other stories of their childhoods, Mic’s being just as depressing as Jaal’s. 

She had also noted that she likes his company more than anyone else’s, which confused her for a long time. Until one morning when she woke up, with the sudden realization that she was falling in love with him.

“The fuck??” she whispered to herself in the mirror, still busy brushing her teeth.

“What?” Liam asked behind her.

“Nothing,” she said as she finished brushing her teeth, rushing out of the bathroom. 

She got dressed quickly, tying her hair up in its usual bun, and making sure nobody saw her scars. Then she made her way to the exit, deciding to go drink at the bar instead. It would be their last day on Kadara Port, before they left for Elaaden, and most of the crew was already at the bar. Jaal waved her over, which made her panic for a moment, before walking towards the group. She sat down next to Jaal, keeping her distance from him and him not allowing it. He moved closer to her, practically towering next to her.

Mic searched the group for Sara, not finding her anywhere in sight, but a few moments later, she saw Sara and Reyes coming from the back of the bar, both looking slightly disheveled. She started to giggle as she made eye contact with Sara, while Sara just beamed next to Reyes, leaning into him.

“Well, well, well. Finally decided to join us?” Liam asked Sara from the table.

“Shut up,” Sara replied and motioned for Mic to move over. She did so, but she bumped into Jaal. This resulted in a strong electric current flowing through the both of them and they froze momentarily.

Mic recovered first, focusing on teasing Sara, while Jaal turned to look at her. The shock that had went through him was unlike anything he had ever known. It was powerful and magnetic, forcing him to draw closer to Mic. A want had embedded itself in Jaal and he needed to be near her, smell her hair and feel the electricity between them.

“Mic, dance with me,” Reyes suddenly announced, standing up and holding his hand out to her.

Mic laughed, but then stopped and stared at him, “Seriously?”

“Why not?”

Mic shrugged and stood up, Sara had made space for her. She and Reyes moved to the middle of the dance floor and one of Mic’s favourite songs started to play. She cheered and fell into rhythm with Reyes, enjoying the feeling of dancing again.

Jaal watched her move and craved to dance with her. He felt slightly jealous that Reyes had the honour of dancing with Mic and he felt uneasy when Reyes touched her. Mic shook her finger at him and Reyes lifted his hands in surrender, not touching her again. 

Sara saw Jaal staring at the two dancing figures and felt that she needed to reassure him.

“Don’t worry. Reyes won’t touch her without her consent.” She gave Jaal a smile and he stared down at her. “Besides, she terrifies him… I’m not sure why though..”

Jaal chuckled at this and nodded his head in understanding, “I know why. Mic can be fearsome.”

“You should ask her to dance,” Sara suddenly excitedly exclaimed.

“I don’t think she would - Hey!”

Sara grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the dance floor, with him only slightly protesting. She maneuvered the two of them closer to where Mic and Reyes were dancing. Mic had her back turned towards the two of them and her eyes closed momentarily, so she didn’t notice when Jaal and Reyes had exchanged places.

When she opened her eyes again, she stopped dancing and looked up at Jaal. She was frozen for only a moment, when she shrugged her shoulders and continued to dance. Turning slightly away from Jaal, she made a panicked smile and whimpered slightly.

_Oh great, I’m going to be a bumbling fool from now on. Fan-fucking-tastic..._

“This is interesting music. Is this a common song among your people?” Jaal asked in her ear, having to bend towards her for her to hear him over the loud music.

Mic felt her heart rate spike as Jaal bent over her and his breath tickled her ears. A shiver went down her spine, but she forced it away and nodded.

“It’s a popular song. Music changes with each generation and everyone’s tastes are unique.”

“Do you like this song?”

Mic nodded her head, a smile forming on her face as she swayed with the music. Jaal followed her rhythm, moving closer to her with every second. The music was enticing and Jaal enjoyed the way it vibrated through his body and how Mic moved. She was mesmerizing and made Jaal’s heart flutter at the sight of her dancing and when he finally touched her, his whole body was electrified. 

The whole world slowed down as Mic and Jaal danced together, their bodies moving in sync. Mic had never felt such a strong attraction and her whole body sang at the humming that engulfed her. The music died down as the humming grew louder and Mic grew worried at the sound. She pulled away, smiling slightly at Jaal and went to the bar. Jaal was left on the dance floor, confused as to why Mic would leave him.

Sara emerged beside Jaal and leaned towards him, “She’s just confused. Mic’s not very good with emotions. Give her time.”

Jaal gave her a grateful smile, before returning to the rest of the crew.

* * *

Mic was glad when the Tempest took off from Kadara Port. Not that she didn’t like the place, she was very fond of most things on the planet, but mostly because she was excited to see a new planet. Elaaden sounded fascinating and she wondered what kind of desert plants she would find and if they would be similar to the plants on Eos.

She was busy in the tech lab again, discussing the microbes she brought from the planets with her fellow scientists, when Jaal walked in. They hadn’t spoken much since their dance on Kadara and Mic was worried that she had fucked up. Jaal gave her a small wave as she looked at him, and she returned it with a smile, before finishing her sentence to the other scientists.

“So, it won’t cause major issues?”

“Only in a few people. Shouldn’t be too bad.”

“But then we should already have medicine to treat them.”

“That would be best, but we don’t have the resources right now.”

“So when will we have them?” The other scientist was quiet, shrugging their shoulders and shaking their head. “Well ... Fuck.” The salarian chuckled and then sent Mic something. 

“I just sent you the recipe for the medicine. If you find a quicker way to create it, be my guest. Also, see if you can find alternatives for some of them. Cheaper and more abundant ones.”

“I’ll try my best. Anything else?” The salarian shook his head. “All right then. We’ll speak soon.”

“Have fun.”

Mic smiled and leaned back as the call ended. She hoped that she would be able to look for the right ingredients on Elaaden, but she had a feeling she would be more successful on Aya or Kadara Port.

“Problems?” Jaal asked next to her. She jumped slightly and then smiled and shook her head.

“Just ... Not really. There’s just a problem with creating medicine against one of the microbes. Not enough resources.” Mic sighed heavily and closed her eyes. “And I have to find resources... Guess I now know what Sara feels like everytime she has to solve everyone’s problems.”

“What kind of resources do you need?” Mic showed him the recipe for the medicine, scratching her head as she saw the long list of things needed. Jaal cleared his throat unsurely and then glanced at Mic, “I don’t know what most of those things are.”

Mic laughed and shook her head, “That’s okay. Most of these things I can only get by extracting them from other sources, mostly plants. So I have to look for plants that have them.”

“Well, I do know what that is,” Jaal pointed to one of the items on the screen and Mic stared at him. “And, coincidentally, it is from a plant on Elaaden. I can get it for you,” he added with a smile.

Mic returned his smile but shook her head, “You and Sara and the rest of the crew have more important things to do than pick plants. My job is to collect samples, so ... I’ll be joining you on Elaaden to collect these plants.” She gave Jaal a smug smirk and crossed her arms in determination.

Jaal smiled and nodded his head, “We will keep you safe.”

“You will be too occupied with other things to worry about me. I will bring along one of my most prized toys,” Mic reached under her desk and pulled a large, rectangular case out from under it. Jaal eyed it suspiciously, while Mic lovingly stroked it. “I’ll be fine.”

* * *

They finally landed on Elaaden and Mic was standing with the team on the ramp, ready to leave. She was wearing Nexus security armour and had a pistol, assault rifle and sniper rifle strapped to her back. Sara had protested loudly when Mic had declared that she would be joining them and only conceded when Mic had promised that she would wear armour and have weapons. Now Sara was staring at Mic’s attire, entirely dumbfounded.

“Where the fuck did you get that?” Sara exclaimed.

“A gift from the Initiative for my services,” Mic calmly answered.

“And the guns?”

Mic pouted a little and shook her head, “Let’s not talk about it.”

Vetra smiled and Drack poked at her sniper rifle.

“Looking good, Baby Varren,” he chuckled and Mic smiled up at him.

“Well, it’s not bone armour, but it’ll do.”

Drack gave another boisterous chuckle and dropped his hand on her shoulder, making her almost topple over. She laughed with him, righting herself. Jaal was standing behind her, smiling proudly at how she looked in the armour and giving Sara a look that plainly said ‘What are you going to do about it?’. Sara gave an exasperated sigh and shook her head.

Mic could feel Jaal’s warmth through her armour and her stomach swirled at the sensation.

_Goddammit, not now._

“Fine, you can come, but you’ll stay at the back. Do not engage anyone,” she said while pressing her finger against Mic’s chest.

Mic smiled smugly, “As you command, Pathfinder.”

Sara shook her head and walked towards the Nomad, climbing into the driver’s seat. Drack climbed into the back, Mic following suit. Jaal took the other seat next to her, which resulted in Mic being squeezed in between Drack and Jaal. She chuckled slightly, thinking about what it must look like, drawing Sara’s attention, who also then started to giggle. Jaal and Drack also turned to look and they started to chuckle as well.

“Thank God, I’m small,” Mic said from between Jaal and Drack, digging herself deeper inbetween them.

She could feel Jaal’s bioelectricity flowing through her and it felt happy and proud. Confused, she just nestled herself deeper inbetween the two giants.

Vetra looked into the Nomad and chuckled when she saw Mic, “You okay there, Mic?”

Mic smiled giddily, “This is fucking cozy.”

The entire team laughed and soon they were on their way out.

* * *

The rest of the ride was mostly peaceful, Sara drove over a few karkyns and Drack told stories of forgotten battles. When they stopped at the Krogan settlement, Mic was reluctantly pulled out of the Nomad by Drack, who pushed her ahead of him. Most of the Krogan stared at her, some came closer to give her an affectionate slap on the back and others called out to her, to which she just bowed her head in acknowledgement.

Sara grinned at all of the attention Mic got, to which Mic just rolled her eyes then smirked.

“Hey, Baby Varren! I didn’t know you were still alive,” one of the Krogan shouted at her.

Mic smiled as she turned to them, “It’s hard to exterminate vermin!” She threw her hands out to the side as the Krogan started to laugh.

Sara turned to Mic with a questioning smile.

“What?”

“Baby Varren?” Sara asked.

Mic chuckled and shook her head, “Apparently I’m ferocious like a baby Varren.”

Jaal smiled as he listened to Mic explain her nickname, turning to Drack and asking, “What is a Varren?”

“It’s a rabid animal...”

Jaal frowned slightly, looking slightly upset at the revelation, before Mic chuckled at another Krogan and his smile returned almost immediately.

Mic rushed over to greet the botanist, striking up a conversation with him. Jaal followed her, hovering over her as she talked to the botanist. Sara smiled, then made her way down the repurposed mine, looking for her contact. Drack stayed with her, smiling as he watched Jaal and Mic talk to the botanist.

Sara returned a few minutes later, looking somber and quietly telling her and Jaal that they were leaving. Mic assumed her news wasn’t good, but knew that now wasn’t the time to talk about it. 

For the rest of the day, Mic continues on her quest for resources, Jaal staying close to her, always keeping an eye out for danger.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the REALLY late update, I've just been very busy the past month with midterms and projects and haven't gotten to this. But I will make up for it by adding 2 chapters today, so yay!  
> I hope you guys enjoy this :)


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, this is my favourite chapter and I've been looking forward to posting it!! I'm so glad I got this far!! So far, I've only talked about Mic being a badass, but here I'm going to show some of her badassery off!! Enjoy!!

After the first day, Mic had a few samples of the resources she needed for the medicine and immediately started to work on them, still wearing her sweaty armour. The rest of the team had immediately made a beeline for the showers, but Mic hadn’t noticed when everyone was finished, until Jaal came in much later. He had been talking to Liam about his growing fondness of Mic and Liam was shocked. 

Liam tried to give advice, but after a few minutes, he simply said, “I don’t know, Jaal. Mic is a mystery. Hell, I don’t even know what she thinks of most of the people on the ship. Sara or Lexi would be able to help you better. I know the minimum about her.” 

Jaal walked up towards her, sniffing at the air and noticing that she had not showered. He bent down next to her and she slowly turned towards him, staring wide-eyed at him.

“What?”

“You should take a break,” Jaal simply said.

“I’m busy,” she replied, her heart beating fast at the close proximity of his face.

“And your work will still be here when you’ve taken a break.”

“I’ve almost got the process right for extracting this ...” Mic started to explain.

“You need to take a shower,” Jaal interrupted.

Mic’s eyes grew as she stared at Jaal, “But I’m so close.”

“Doesn’t matter. Come on,” he said as he bend down next to Mic, lifted her one arm and threw her over his shoulder.

“Jaal! What the fuck!?” Mic shouted as Jaal walked towards the door.

“We’ve had a long day and you need to take a break ... and a shower.”

“Fuck me...” she softly whispered as Jaal carried her out of the room and towards the bathroom.

They went past a few of the other crewmembers, Mic shyly waving at them as they passed and them laughing at how defeated she looked. Mic only minded a little, she was too happy about being this close to Jaal to really mind. When they reached the bathroom, he softly set her down and she lifted her hands in defeat.

“Well, you got me here, now leave so that I can shower in peace,” Mic said as she turned around.

Jaal chuckled slightly and left the room, wishing he could stay instead and join her, but he would not ask her now. Mic smiled as well, starting to analyse his actions and wondering if there was more meaning behind them. It was rare that anyone ever cared deeply for her and Jaal seemed to be friendly with everyone. 

She was bad with feelings, so very bad.

* * *

Mic had taken a shower and then went to bed, only then realizing how tired she really was. Jaal had waited for her to return, but when he went looking for her, he saw her fast asleep on her bunk and smiled at how peaceful she looked.

When she woke up the next morning, she found a small, purple flower next to her pillow. She smiled at its beauty, gently picking it up and placing it in her drawer. She put her armour on again when she saw Sara’s message about when they will be leaving. It smelled clean and she wondered who had cleaned it, but she was still groggy from sleep, so she just put it on. 

She only really woke up when she was in the Nomad, once again seated between Jaal and Drack. Drack smiled as he took the seat next to her and Jaal sat on the other side, sitting very close to her and making her heart flutter at every touch.

Sara climbed in, taking the driver’s seat and simply said, “Today we’re going to the remnant sites. I’m not going to suffer in this heat any longer than necessary.”

“Hear, hear,” Mic commented and Sara gave her a small smile.

When they had finished one remnant site, where Mic had taken out a few of the remnant, to Sara’s great surprise, they had made their way to the next one. Drack was laughingly retelling how Mic took down the remnant, giving her a proud pat on the back, which almost made her fly through the window. She simply laughed as Jaal had helped her to straighten herself, keeping his hands a little longer on her shoulders than necessary.

Drack kept talking about everyone’s prowess in battle as they made their way to the next remnant site. When they arrived, Mic took out a few more remnant, to Drack’s utter amusement, and even saved Jaal from a shot when she pulled him back in the nick of time. He gave her shoulder a grateful squeeze before continuing with the assault on the remnant. 

“How on earth do you keep doing this on every planet? It’s exhausting,” Mic groaned as she put her assault rifle back in place.

“We do what we do for the people,” Cora answered as she walked past Mic.

Mic stared at her and then turned her attention to Sara, “You should use that in a speech, Sara.” Sara made a face of annoyance at her and then moved towards the remnant site. “I’m going to go take a look at that boulder.”

“Why?” Sara asked.

“There’s shade,” Mic deadpanned, already on her way to the hill.

“Which means what exactly?” Cora asked her.

“Shade means a decreased temperature, which means better probability for plantlife. I’ll wait for you at the Nomad when I’m done. Don’t blow anything up,” Mic shouted back at them.

“Don’t go alone,” Sara shouted at her.

“I’m barely 500 meters away. I’ll be fine. No one comes close to the remnant sites.”

Jaal wanted to go after her, but Sara stopped him and asked him to help her with the puzzles. He reluctantly helped her as he watched Mic trek up the hill towards the enormous boulder. She calmly made her way up the hill, already activating her scanning program. 

The plantlife around the boulder was more abundant than the surrounding area, just as Mic had expected, and she was scanning all of them. She smiled when she noticed that the plant Jaal had mentioned was growing abundantly in the shade. 

While she was inspecting the plant, planning on how to get samples from the plant to the Nomad, she noticed the blood spatter on the boulder. It was all around the plant as well, which had a lot of big leaves. She shoved some of them away and that’s when she saw the body. It was a krogan, almost as big as Drack and he looked horrific.

She switched on her video recorder, knowing that someone would want her full report on her discovery.

“Krogan. Full grown. Male. His ribs seem to be broken, as well as his left arm, right wrist and neck. It must have been something big that attacked him. Probably another kroga ... No. Body has been smashed against the boulder. Something must have rammed him against the boulder. Probably a large vehicle, but ...” A roar erupted behind Mic and she was stunned for a moment. She slowly turned around, only to see an enormous Eiroch pounding the floor and roaring at her. “Mystery solved... Fuck.” The Eiroch started to charge at her and Mic turned around to grab her assault rifle. She stopped for a second when she saw the krogan’s shotgun lying at her feet and grabbed it instead. “I’m fucked, might as well try the big gun,” she whispered, laughing a bit hysterical. She checked it for ammo as the Eiroch came closer and turned just in time to shoot it. The Eiroch stumbled slightly as it swiped at its eyes and gave another roar. “Yeah, fuck you too, big guy!” Mic shouted as she ran to the side. Her shoulder was screaming in protest, the gun’s strength was too much for her, but she cocked the weapon and aimed again, this time for the Eiroch’s underbelly. It roared in pain and charged at her again.

“Aah! Shit!” Mic rolled out of the way, just in time as the Eiroch ran into the boulder. Her eyes were big as it turned around, its eyes focusing on her, “Fuck me!” Mic cursed. It charged at her again, but this time she was too slow to roll out of the way. The Eiroch rammed her and she flew through the air. When she landed in the soft sand, she gasped as her breath escaped her and clutched her chest. Something slick started to form on her face and her eyes were tearing up. The beast roared closer to her now and she turned to look at it. It was only a few meters away and Mic’s heart stopped for a moment. When her mind returned to her, she started to dig around in the sand, looking desperately for the shotgun. It lay a meter away from her and she launched herself at it as the Eiroch came charging at her again. 

When she turned around, it was practically on top of her and she had just enough time to fire three rapid shots into its chest, before she activated her omni blade and held her hand out. The beast landed on top of her and luckily, Mic was at the right spot to penetrate his thick skin and pierce its heart. The beast gave another roar as it stood up and stomped on her leg. She tried to scream, but it was silenced by the blood dripping on her face. For a moment, she thought that she had missed a vital artery and attempted to crawl away. Her arm was sitting at a strange angle, as did her leg and it was very hard to breath. The beast gave a final roar, the sound was filled with pain and deafening at this range. She turned around to take one last look at the beast as it took one step towards her, standing on top of her and fell to the ground. Mic gasped as the weight of his arm crushed her lungs and tears welled up in her eyes at the pain. The Eiroch was silent on top of her and Mic was panting, every breath causing a shot of pain to go through her body.

A warm ooze was surrounding her body and Mic wondered how much of it was hers and how much was the Eiroch’s.

“Fuck me...” Mic whimpered. She was stuck beneath the beast, entirely unable to move. She let out a pained whimper and the tears fell from her face. “I’m going to die here,” she laughed hysterically, her chest aching with pain. “The fuck’d I do to get this?” she grunted, the stench of the animal engulfing her senses and its residual heat and weight suffocating her. “Help!” she tried to shout, but she was unable to raise her voice loud enough to be heard past the beast’s paw. “Ugh, fuck. I can’t even get to my fucking arm to activate the omni tool...” Mic moved her head to look past the Eiroch’s arm. She was silent for a moment, when she suddenly remembered a built in feature of her omni tool. “Oh right, I forgot the fucking voice activation. Omni tool. Activate. Authorisation, Miraen Isera Carter.”

“Voice recognized. Good day, Doctor Carter.”

“Call Sara Ryder.”

“Calling Sara Ryder.”

Mic waited impatiently as the call went through, unable to take deep breaths and starting to panic.

“Mic, I’m really busy right now. These puzzles are really hard. I’ll come pick you up once we’re done. Just hold on a-“

“Sara!” Mic interrupted with abated breath.

“I know, I know. It’s very hot outside. Just be patient. We’re almost done. I’ll talk to you later. Pathfinder out,” Sara ended the call as Mic screamed in frustration.

“FUCK!” Mic hit her head against the sand in frustration and then tried to take a deep breath, wincing in pain. She lay there for a moment, taking a few breaths, before she announced, “Call Jaal ama Darav.”

“Calling Jaal ama Darav.”

Mic waited with anticipation, hoping that Jaal would actually answer, her body aching with immense pain. 

“Shit, I shouldn’t...” _This isn’t a good idea. I should’ve called Drack instead. I shouldn’t bother Jaal now..._

“Hello Mic.”

“Jaal... Thank God. Please, come get me,” Mic cried, her voice breaking with the pain.

“Mic! What is the matter?” Jaal asked, his voice embedded with concern.

Mic felt the tears streaming down her face and struggled to breathe, “Just ... come ... Please.”

“I’m on my way. Ryder! We’re leaving! Now! Hold on, Miraen. I’m coming for you. Wait for me,” the call cut off and Mic lay her head back, hoping that they would not take long.

* * *

“What? Why?” Sara asked as Jaal shouted at her. 

“Miraen is in trouble. We need to go to her,” Jaal said, determinedly walking towards the Nomad.

“I just spoke with her. She’s fine,” Sara started as she followed Jaal.

Jaal whipped his head around and held Sara’s eyes captive, “She said so? Because she just called me and she was crying and begging for me to fetch her,” Jaal stared at Sara, his gaze focused and menacing, and her eyes grew.

“Shit. Get in everyone!” Sara jumped into the Nomad, not waiting for everyone to strap in, before she started the Nomad and rushed towards the hill. It did not take long to reach it and everyone jumped out, staring at the dead Eiroch and scanning the area for Mic. “Mic?!”

“Miraen!? Where are you?” Jaal demanded, his voice echoing his worry and desperation.

“Here,” a soft voice came from the Eiroch. Drack was the only one who heard it, since he walked towards the beast to inspect it.

“Mic?” Drack asked the corpse and a soft chuckle came from it.

“Yeah, old guy. It’s me. Help me out, would you?” Mic asked with a soft voice.

“Jaal! Ryder! I found her!” Drack shouted and Sara and Jaal immediately rushed towards him, Cora following behind them, checking the perimeter.

“Miraen!” Jaal screamed as he saw her head poking out from under the animal. He rushed towards her, cradling her head when he dropped next to her. She was almost unrecognizable with all of the blood on her face and the little bit of her torso that was visible from under the beast.

“Cora! Come help!” Sara ordered and Cora came rushing towards them. “Ready?” She asked Drack and Cora as they situated themselves next to the Eiroch. They nodded their heads and Sara turned to Jaal, “Drag her out when we lift the Eiroch up.” Jaal nodded in understanding and she gave Cora and Drack a curt nod.

Cora forced her biotics to lift the enormous beast up from Mic and Drack lifted its arm. When the animal was almost above Mic, Jaal dragged her out, trying to be as gentle as possible. Mic still moaned in pain, but he could hear that it was strained, as if she was holding herself in. When she was far enough out, Drack and Cora let go of the Eiroch. It landed with a loud thump and sand flew through the air. Mic coughed a little and curled up in pain moments after.

“Mic? Are you okay?” Sara asked softly.

Jaal held Mic close to him, cradling her in his arms as she turned towards Sara and pouted, “You’re a shitty friend, you know that?” Mic answered with a chuckle, grimacing at the effort.

“Oh my God, Mic. I’m so sorry. I should have ...”

“Listened to me? Yeah. Not important right now. Listen to me now and take me to the Tempest,” she ordered with a cough, wincing again.

Jaal held her close, picking her up gently, “We will get you help, Miraen.”

“Thanks, Jaal,” she softly whispered, curling into his chest. He held her close and jogged towards the Nomad, trying his best to be as gentle as possible. The blood on her body was being smeared against his rofjinn, coating it in strange hues, but he did not even notice. He placed her gently on the back seat, climbing in after her. She leaned against him, smiling slightly at the shock of electricity going through her.

“Fuck’s that?” she mumbled at Jaal as she clutched her left arm with her right. It hurt and she wasn’t sure why.

“Oh, my apologies. We angara heal each other with our bioelectricity. I will stop.”

“No, no. It’s fine. I like it,” she grumbled and her eyes closed for a second.

“Mic! Don’t fall asleep. Stay with us,” Sara ordered from Mic’s right, as she climbed into the driver’s seat, waiting for everyone to strap in and then put her foot down. The Nomad sprung into action and they raced across the desert towards the Tempest.

Drack started to laugh next to Mic when they were on their way and she stared at him confusedly, a bruise forming around her eye and blood drying on her face, although they were unable to determine which were hers and which were the Eiroch’s. She looked bad and Drack felt sorry for her, but he was feeling more proud than anything else.

“I don’t know if you’re crazy or brave. That was some feat you performed there,” Mic frowned at him, still confused. He chuckled again, “You took down an Eiroch! That’s fantastic,” he beamed and Mic found herself laughing as well, wincing at every movement. 

Jaal put a protective arm around her, but she continued to laugh and bumped her head against Drack’s shoulder.

“I did! It was terrifying,” Mic giggled, but quickly curled up and released a small whimper, which would have been adorable in different circumstances.

Jaal protectively wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer to him and the warmth of his body. She giggled again and leaned into Jaal’s body.

“Ryder, you must hurry!”

“I’m doing my best, Jaal. I’m really doing my best,” Sara mumbled from the front, pushing the Nomad to its limits.

Mic hummed in amusement and tapped her hand against Jaal’s chest, “You worry too much. I’ll be fine.”

Mic smiled, but her whole body racked with pain. She tried to hide it, but it kept creeping through whenever she laughed or Sara drove over a hill too fast. Jaal noticed every single movement, his body attuned to hers in this close proximity. He could sense her pain and wished to relieve it and the only way he knew how, was to release his healing bioelectricity in small doses. He was uncertain if it would even work, but he had to try.

Mic hummed at the soothing current through her body, curling further into herself and Jaal. She opened her eyes for a moment and noticed the blood on his rofjinn. She grumbled slightly and moved away from Jaal. He stared concernedly at her, wondering why she would move away from him.

“Shit... I didn’t even notice all this blood. Sorry about your rofjinn, Jaal,” she added with a smile, looking dazed and leaning towards Drack.

Jaal frowned and pulled Mic closer, whispering in her ear, “That is the least of my worries, Taoshay, and a small price to pay to have you safe here with me.” He let another wave of electricity rush over her and she gave a small whimper of gratitude. Jaal gave her a squeeze, but this time she groaned in pain. He quickly let her go and stared wide eyed at her.

“Almost there. Just hold on a bit longer, Mic,” Sara said from the front and Mic smiled.

“Take your time. It’s not like I’m bleeding out back here,” Mic commented.

“What?!” Sara turned to stare at Mic, while Mic just smiled.

“Relax. The blood’s not mine... I think,” she softly added the last part and Jaal stared at Mic.

“Taoshay, save your strength.”

_What’s he calling me? Why isn’t it translating? Shit, maybe my translator got damaged. Is that even possible? FUCK. Everything hurts._

Mic emitted another grunt of pain and Jaal’s face contorted in sadness. She released a chuckle right after and Drack bellowed next to them. He slapped his hand on Mic’s shoulder, which made her wince in pain.

“What’s the matter? Eiroch hit your shoulder?” He asked, lifting his hand gently as Jaal glared at him.

Mic gave another pained chuckle, “No. I used a krogan shotgun.” And she started to laugh.

Drack burst with laughter and started to hit his knee as he exclaimed, “You are a piece of work, Mic. That was crazy!”

“What the fuck, Mic? You should have known that was stupid!” Sara exclaimed as she maneuvered the Nomad to enter the Tempest.

“Yeah, it was...”


	18. Chapter 18

Jaal carefully took Mic from the Nomad, after Sara had parked it in the Tempest, and ran with her to the med bay.

“Lexi!” Sara shouted towards the med bay.

“Yes?” Lexi asked with a concerned tone, when she heard Sara’s panicked voice. She gasped in shock when she saw Mic’s bloodied body, immediately reaching out to her. “Quickly, place her on the cot. Sara go get Suvi,” she turned towards the med bay, but turned back to Sara when she didn’t move, “Now!”

Sara finally jumped into action, disappearing towards the bridge. Jaal set Mic down as gently as he could on the cot, keeping her right hand in his. Lexi was already busy scanning Mic, gasping at every little thing that showed up on the screen. Suvi came into the room and Lexi turned towards her.

“Suvi, start cleaning her wounds. I’ll begin prepping her for surgery. Sara, we need to get back to the Nexus.”

“Why?”

“There are signs of internal bleeding. I can stabilize her, but she needs a hospital.”

“Oh my God,” Sara gasped, staring at Mic, who was just taking it all in.

“Fuck, I didn’t think it was that bad,” Mic whispered, chuckling slightly.

Lexi turned to Mic sharply, “Don’t move too much. You could worsen your situation.” Lexi turned to the rest of the crew that had huddled into the med bay, “All of you, get out. We need space to work. Suvi, you stay and help me. Sara, tell Kallo to leave.”

“I will not leave her,” Jaal protested.

Mic took her hand out of his and tapped his hand, “Don’t fret over me, big guy. Lexi’ll probably take care of me. If I didn’t annoy her too much in the past.” She chuckled again, which resulted in a glare from Sara.

“Never,” Lexi said as she rested her hand on Mic’s shoulder. Mic winced at the touch and Lexi lifted her scanner again. Her eyes grew and she turned to the crew again, who had not left the room yet, “Out. Jaal,” she gave Jaal a serious look and he reluctantly stood up and left the room with the rest of the crew. 

He and Sara turned to look worriedly at Mic as the med bay doors closed in front of them. Mic let out a sigh of relief as everyone was out of the room.

“Nobody judge me,” she whispered as tears started to stream down her face and her eyes closed tightly shut. Her mouth contorted in pain as she tried to lift herself up, struggling to breathe and wincing with every movement. With everyone out of the room, she finally felt like she could show in how much pain she was.

“Mic,” Suvi gasped, staring wide eyed at Mic, who was clearly suffering greatly.

“Stay still, Mic. I’ll give you some morphine now. Suvi, get the armour off of her left arm and right leg.”

“Yes, Doctor,” Suvi replied and started on the armour.

“My right shoulder,” Mic added, wincing as Suvi took the plating off of her arm. Her bone was sticking out of her arm. It looked sickly and she felt her stomach churn at the sight of it and Suvi turned away for a moment, before turning back to the task at hand.

“What’s wrong with your shoulder, Mic?” Suvi asked.

“I used a krogan shotgun. I think it’s dislocated. Hurts like hell,” Mic cried.

“I saw. Later. First I need to stabilize you.” Lexi said as she started to unclasp the rest of her armor.

Mic nodded her head, hitting it against the cot to elicit another feeling of pain so that she could be distracted from Suvi, who was preparing to reset her arm.

Suvi gently put her hand on Mic’s arm and Mic gave her a curt nod. She pressed the bone back into place. A piercing scream echoed through the room as Mic felt the pain seering through her body. She panted loudly, every breath more painful than the last, after the bone had been set and heard a faint thump to her left. When she turned her head, she could see the entire Tempest crew standing just outside of the window, staring at her. Jaal was at the front, his hand pressed against the window and his eyes were drenched with tears. Mic turned to look at Suvi.

“Seems I have an audience,” she whispered and Suvi turned around to see the entire crew. She shook her head and walked over to the window to close it, Jaal’s eyes begging her not to.

When she returned, Mic let the tears flow freely as Lexi popped her shoulder back into place. Another scream went through the medbay as Mic leaned back, finally feeling the morphine setting in.

“I’m sorry, Mic. I didn’t realise that you were resistant to pain medication,” Lexi said as she held onto Mic’s shoulder.

“That’s okay...” Mic could feel herself falling into the darkness and welcomed the feeling. She needed the rest. And a release from the immense pain that was grappling her body.

* * *

Jaal punched the window to the med bay once more as it closed and a muffled scream could be heard. His Taoshay was hurt and he could do nothing. Why couldn’t he stay with her? Why hadn’t he insisted on going with her? Then at least he might have gotten hurt and not her.

He closed his eyes as he pressed his forehead against the cool surface, tears flowing freely from his eyes. He thumped his hand against the window again and felt his heart clench. Sara put her hand on his shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze.

“Lexi will take good care of her, Jaal. She’ll be fine.”

“I should have went with her. I should have protected her,” Jaal began.

Sara was quiet for a moment, before she turned to him, “She was determined. We couldn’t stop her. Mic does what she wants… She’ll be fine...” Sara said the last part, more to herself than to Jaal.

The two of them stood there, staring at the closed window for a few hours, hearing Lexi and Suvi scurry in the med bay. The whole ship seemed to have turned into a graveyard, as everyone had left for their rooms, and Jaal and Sara were left in the silence, quietly consoling each other.

Neither of them moved, until they landed at the Nexus, where Lexi and Suvi rushed out of the med bay the moment they opened the airlocks. Jaal and Sara were right behind them, creating a small procession. When he saw Mic’s bloodied face, the rest of her body covered with a blanket, he felt his heart clench again and he yearned to reach out to her, if only he could feel her warmth in his hands once more. But she was being whisked away to the hospital. And he had no choice, but to let her be carried away and the doors to the hospital closed in his face. Sara stayed with him at the entrance of the hospital and the two of them leaned against the doors.

After another few hours, the doors opened and Lexi stepped out. Jaal and Sara stared expectantly at her and she smiled reassuringly.

“Mic will be fine. She is stable and will make a full recovery.”

Jaal and Sara gave sighs of relief and Jaal stood up, stopping in front of Lexi, “Can I ... Can we see her?”

Lexi shook her head slightly, “Not right now. She’s resting, but you will see her as soon as she wakes.” Lexi gave Jaal a reassuring smile and then nodded to Sara, before she entered the hospital again.

“Oh thank God,” Sara exclaimed, tears welling up in her eyes. Jaal turned to her and he embraced her.

The two of them stood together in front of the hospital for a while, holding each other tightly and crying with gratitude.

“We should go and rest too. Maybe we could see her tomorrow,” Sara said when she and Jaal had let go of each other.

He nodded his head, but stayed a little bit longer as he watched the doors of the hospital, before following Sara back to the Tempest.


	19. Chapter 19

The next few days are tense on both the Tempest and in the hospital. Ryder and Jaal barely sleep, both of them staying next to Mic’s bed for as long as the doctors allow them. Sara does leave every now and again to take care of some or other problem on the Nexus and Jaal uses this time to closely inspect Mic. He’s never really had the time to trace every single line on her face and notice all of the strange marks on her neck and shoulders. 

Wearing the hospital gown, her shoulders and most of her neck is exposed and Jaal sees the small scars running down the left side of her neck and moving down her arm. He realises, after tracing the lines of some of the scars, that they must be leftovers from her ordeal back in the Milky Way, when she lost most of her friends.

Jaal also notices a few marks on her face that he hadn’t noticed before, a scratch under her eye, a line on her nose and the faintest scar on her upper lip, the last one added recently from her fight with the Eiroch. He fights back the urge to trace over all of her scars, instead holding her hand tightly in his. Jaal also finds himself stroking her hair, letting the strands fall through his fingers and then moving the rebellious hair out of her face.

He smiles ruefully at her, wishing that she would wake up so that he could look into her beautiful green eyes and hear her voice again. A small, sad wave of bioelectricity runs through his body and over hers as he yearns for her smile again for the umpteenth time in the past few days.

But she stays silent.

* * *

Sara and Jaal return to the hospital for almost a week, staying next to Mic’s bed and asking the doctors when she would wake up. No one could answer them, so they spend their time playing games and Sara told Jaal a few stories of her and Mic when they were back in the Milky Way. They also found the video that Mic took before she got attacked, the two of them tearing up as they heard her whimpering after the Eiroch had fallen. They were silent for a long time after watching the video, staring at Mic in concern and wonder.

After six days, when they entered the hospital again, they saw Mic sitting on the cot, her legs dangling off of the side and a nurse pestering her to lie still. Her back was turned to them, so she did not see them enter.

“I need to move, otherwise I’d go mad,” Mic said.

“Doctor Carter, you need to stay still or you will open your wounds again.”

“Miraen!” Jaal shouted with a large smile plastered on his face as he saw Mic. She froze for a second, before turning her head to look at him. His smile put her slightly at ease and he moved to sit on his hunches in front of her, putting a hand on her thigh. He could not stop smiling as he looked up at her.

“Hi, Jaal,” she said quietly, a little confused as to why he would look so happy to see her.

“Mic!” Sara shouted and then hugged Mic from behind.

Mic exclaimed in pain and Sara jumped back, looking very frightened. Mic just started to laugh, hunching over in pain and hugging herself. Both of her arms looked strange, the left wrapped in a cask and the right in a sling, and she could hardly move them, so the nurse gently took her by the shoulders and leaned her back on the bed, Mic still giggling slightly. When she was lying back again, Jaal stood up and leaned over her.

Mic turned to Sara, “You bitch...” She smiled. Sara chuckled before rambling off an apology. Mic and Jaal watched Sara falling over her words, both of them smiling sweetly. “Sara...” Mic then softly said after a while. Sara stopped in the middle of her apology, staring at Mic. “Shut up.” Mic smiled and Sara started to chuckle. Mic joined her, but curled into herself as her ribs started to hurt. Jaal took hold of her left shoulder, sending a few healing pulses towards her and she smiled gratefully at him.

“We are glad to see you are doing well, Miraen. We were worried,” Jaal said.

Mic smiled at him, “Oh… Well, it takes more than a few scrapes and bruises to get rid of me. I’m afraid you’re stuck with me.”

“That wasn’t just a few scrapes and bruises, Miraen…”

“God, Mic. You almost died. Don’t pretend like this was nothing.”

Mic looked away from the two of them, but before she could say anything else, the rest of the Tempest crew came barging into the hospital. Drack was the first to say something and after that, no one could get more than a few sentences in before someone else interrupted and had something to say about what she had done.

Mic just smiled at all of them, no one allowing her to utter a word. She did try to get the blanket over her shoulders, something that only Jaal noticed. So he helped her to cover up, noticing how she tried to hide her arm with the many scars, averting his eyes as Mic’s gaze turned to him. He didn’t say anything and she returned her attention to Drack bellowing and exaggerating the size of the Eiroch.

The crew stayed for another hour, before being chased out by Sara. Only Jaal stayed behind, staying in his seat that he had taken. Sara turned around for a moment to stare at Mic and Jaal, a sly smile playing on her lips.

Jaal smiled at Mic and she nervously returned it.

“So… When are you leaving?” Mic asked as she fiddled with the blanket.

“I’m not sure. Sara had not said anything to me. But we would probably leave soon.” 

“Makes sense. You still have a lot to do on Elaaden.”

Jaal hummed in acknowledgement. They were quiet for a while, Jaal stealing glances at Mic as she continued to fiddle with the blanket. Jaal’s omni tool lit up for a moment and he looked at the notification.

“Ah, Sara has just let me know that they will be leaving in an hour,” Jaal said and he turned to look at Mic.

“Oh… Well, then you should get going.”

“I’m not leaving yet,” Jaal said, leaning forward and taking her hand in his.

Mic smiled, a blush forming on her cheeks, “Oh…” She stared at their hands, marveling at how strange her pale fingers looked in his purple hand. Another shock went through her and she wondered if she was ever going to get used to the feeling.

Neither of them said anything, as both of them stared at their hands for quite some time. Mic was unsure of what to say, if she was supposed to even say anything, but she felt that she had to thank him.

“Jaal… “ He perked up immediately at the sound of his name, his eyes wide with anticipation. Mic cleared her throat. “Thank you… For coming for me...”

Jaal released a strange hum of bioelectricity which Mic struggled to identify. Was it gratitude? Or acceptance? Happiness? 

“I will always come for you when you ask, Miraen.”

Jaal stared deeply into her eyes for a moment, until Mic turned to look away. He smiled and stood up, drawing Mic’s attention back to him. They locked eyes as another wave of bioelectricity washed over Mic and she felt the pain in her abdomen subside. Jaal bent over Mic, bringing his face closer to hers. Her eyes grew as he came closer, but relaxed at the comforting wave brushing against her skin. Jaal closed his eyes and pressed his forehead to hers and Mic copied his gesture, leaning slightly into the touch.

After a few seconds, he reluctantly let go of her, smiled and said, “But I have to go now, Miraen. Stay strong and clear, my Taoshay.” 

* * *

The Tempest had left the Nexus and was back on Elaaden. Sara felt like she was abandoning Mic on the Nexus, but Mic’s emails had reassured her that it was best that she was on the Nexus. And after a few days, Sara saw this as an opportunity to talk to Jaal about Mic. She had noticed how Jaal always seemed to gravitate towards Mic and how Mic actually allowed him to come close to her. It was rare that she could get one of them alone and since Mic wouldn’t be in the tech lab for a while...

Sara came into the tech lab one morning as Jaal was leaning over one of the tables, clearly busy with something. 

“Hey, Jaal?” He dropped the tool and jumped up in fright. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“What? I’m not scared. One second.”

Sara looked around and saw a bunch of tools and half finished objects lying around.

“What’s going on in here? You look busy.”

Jaal looked at his things and said, “If I’m busy, my mind is occupied with whatever I’m working on rather than worrying.”

Sara smiles, “I can see how that’d help.”

“I would like your advice on something,” Jaal asks as he fiddles with his rofjinn. “I’m making gifts for everyone. I have a list.”

“Gifts?”

Jaal nods and then begins, “Do turians like poetry? For Vetra, I’m writing a poem and engraving it on … I’m not sure yet.”

Sara smiles mischievously as she imagines what Vetra would think of a poem, “Who doesn’t like a personalized poem?”

Jaal smiles, “Great. Maybe I could recite it for her.”

Sara snorts, “Make sure I’m there for that.”

“Liam seems to like my rofjinn. I might sew him one.”

“He does?” Ryder asks with a raised brow.

“Do krogan like knives? I could craft a ceremonial angaran dagger for Drack.”

Sara smiles as she imagines how much Drack would love that, “Who wouldn’t want that?”

Jaal shrugged, “It’s mainly decorative.” He thought for a moment. “Would you like one?”

Sara frowned a little at the idea of so many gifts and found herself worrying a bit over the big guy. “Jaal. This is a lot of work. What’s really going on?”

Jaal sighed before he began, “I’m … I’m worried about my family and … mostly about Miraen.”

Sara leaned against his desk and nodded her head. “Yeah. We should talk about Miraen. More specifically about  _you_ and Miraen.” Jaal sighed and took his place right next to Sara. “Okay, Jaal, you need to tell me what your intentions are with her. I need to know that you don’t just see her as a novelty and...”

“A what?” Jaal asked with a shocked face.

Sara turned to him and saw his confusion, ”A novelty. Like dating someone just to say you’ve dated them specifically or dating an alien just to say you’ve done that.”

Jaal looked disgusted at Sara, “Your people do that?” Sara shrugged. “That’s horrible.”

“It is. And Mic doesn’t deserve to be treated that way,” Sara crossed her arms. Her eyes conveyed her meaning and Jaal turned towards her with enlarged eyes.

He looked shocked, “I would never. Miraen is my taasharay.” He said it with such finality that Sara had a feeling that those words meant a lot to the angara, but she did not know the word.

“And what does that mean exactly?”

Jaal narrowed his eyes at her. “Your people do not have taasharay?” Sara shook her head. He looked sad for a moment and then took a breath. “For the angara, having a taasharay is the greatest gift that life can give us.” Jaal started to smile, “It is when two souls are connected over time and space, bonded for eternity. Across the stars and the void of dark space, we have found each other and I am hers, because I have seen into the depths of her magnificent soul… It is hard to explain how important a taasharay is to the angara...” Jaal’s eyes glimmered and he smiled sweetly. “We all wish for the chance to experience the joys of having a taasharay and sharing a love that spans time… It is … The greatest adventure that any angara could ever experience...”

Sara stared at Jaal. He seemed lost in a fond memory and when Sara turned to look at what Jaal was staring at, she saw one of Mic’s jackets lying on his chair.

“So… you’re saying that Mic is your soulmate?” Sara asked unsurely.

Jaal chuckled, “That is a simple way of saying it, but yes. She is my soulmate.”

Sara turned to stare at Jaal, her mouth open and eyes wide. “How sure are you about that?”

“I know it in my soul,” he said as he put his hand on his chest, still staring at the jacket. Sara continued to stare at him and he ducked his head sheepishly, “And the Moshae noticed the change in my bioelectricity when she was on the ship. She thinks Miraen is adorable...” He smiles sweetly and fiddles with his rofjinn.

Sara stared in shock at Jaal and then started to giggle. Jaal looked at her and smiled. “That’s fantastic!” She threw her arms around him and squeezed. He chuckled, but then Sara pulled back. “Oh my God… She is going to be so lost… Wait, does your family know yet?”

“Yes. My mother chastised me for not letting her know sooner and all of my cousins and siblings are eager to meet her. I’m afraid how she will react to my family.” Suddenly, Jaal’s face fell and he stared worriedly at the jacket.

“As long as they don’t bombard her, she’ll survive.” Sara turned to Jaal and he looked at her. “You should introduce her to them as soon as possible. We’ll make an entire outing of it and then you should tell her that you are her taasharay. You shouldn’t keep it from her anymore. She’ll be pissed if she knew you kept something like this from her. Oh, I’m so glad for you,” she exclaimed as she threw her arms around him again.

“Thank you, Sara.”

Sara pulled back again and looked at all of his projects, “Which reminds me. What are you making for her?”

Jaal smiled, straightened himself and then walked over to his desk. He took out a large box and Sara looked into it.

She chuckled, “Now that is pretty nice, but maybe you could make her a...”

And so Jaal and Sara brainstormed gift ideas for Mic for the rest of the day, Jaal hoping that she would like them and Sara wondering where Mic would stash all of these gifts.

* * *

After another week in the hospital, the doctors had Mic discharged and she went to her apartment. She spent most of her time, over the following month, reading the reports that Sara sent in, or going to the lab to help the other scientists. They usually chased her out of the lab after a few hours and then she would sit up till late watching movies.

Her injuries healed remarkably well and soon she didn’t need the sling or a crutch to walk. Her arm and leg was still wrapped in casks, which looked awesome with their net-like design, but they didn’t hinder her movements that much.

Every now and again, she would get an email from Jaal, telling her about their adventures on Elaaden and he would also tell her about his family. He even called her a few times and they had discussed some of the plants he had found on Elaaden. She was surprised to find that he had found most of the plants she was supposed to collect and thanked him. He just shrugged and said it was his pleasure to do so.

She found herself missing his presence over the course of the weeks, shaking her head at herself.

“The man probably only thinks of me as a fascinating little alien… Nothing more than a roommate...” She told herself, but at the back of her head she couldn’t help thinking that he might actually care for her. She shook her head and tried to distract herself with her movies, to little avail.

One morning, Jaal called her and excitedly announced that they were on their way back to the Nexus.

“That’s great news, Jaal. Everyone must be happy to get back.”

“We are,” Jaal smiled mysteriously.

“Even you? I would think you would rather want to go home.”

Jaal chuckled, “I will be going home soon. I’ve found my brothers and sister who joined the Roekaar and Sara said she would help me get them back. I hope to get them home soon.”

Mic smiled, “I’m sure you will. Sara will make sure of it.”

Jaal looked directly at her, “I was hoping you would join me as well. But only if you are fit enough.”

Mic stopped for a moment to think about helping Jaal. There was no question that she would do all she could to help, but she wasn’t sure if she would be healed entirely by the time he went looking for his siblings. Still...

“I’ll be fine and I would gladly help you get your family back.”

“That is fantastic. Then they will learn that not all aliens are alike.”

“Well, if they meet me and Sara at the same time, they will surely see that,” Mic chuckled.

Jaal joined in the laughter, “That is very true, Miraen. You are unlike anyone I have ever met.”

Mic smiled at the compliment, but also at her name. Jaal had apparently made a point of calling her only on her first name and she had to admit that she was loving the sound of it. She just hoped that her infatuation with the man would subside so that she could go on with her life and he won’t find out about how he made her feel at times. She couldn’t imagine that he would even think of having a relationship with her, so she just sighed and enjoyed the sound of her name on his lips for the time being.

“Thank you, Jaal. I’ll endeavour to be on my best behaviour when I meet your family.”

“No need to resort to such methods, Miraen. You are perfectly fine the way you are.”

Mic smiled and felt the blush forming on her cheeks. “You might think that, but others won’t.”

“That’s just because ...” He was interrupted by Sara shouting that they will be leaving in five minutes. “Ah, I’m afraid I have to go now, Miraen. But I will see you soon. Stay strong and clear, Taoshay,” he said and then abruptly hung up and Mic was alone in her room once again.

* * *

Late that night, Mic’s movie was interrupted by her doorbell going off. She stood up and walked over to her door, limping slightly with her cask still on her leg and then opened the door. Jaal and Sara were standing in front of her, with huge smiles on their faces and behind them was the rest of the Tempest crew.

“What the...”

“Surprise!” Everyone shouted and Mic chuckled nervously.

“Why?” Mic asked.

“We wanted to celebrate your recovery,” Sara said.

“We brought all the snacks and drinks, so you just sit back and enjoy the party,” Liam said from behind Jaal.

Mic shook her head and then stepped aside. The Tempest crew cheered and then piled into her apartment. Jaal wrapped an arm around her and hugged her tightly, but not so tight as to hurt her. He held onto her for a few seconds and then let go of her, staying at the door with her as she smiled at her friends, who were already taking over her kitchen. Drack barely made it through her door before he went over to her kitchen as well. She just shook her head and turned to look at Jaal, who was smiling brightly.

“I’m glad to see that you are doing well, Miraen. Are you still in pain?” He asked her as he put his hand on her shoulder, his face suddenly turning concerned. He always asked that first whenever they were talking.

Mic smiled and put her hand on his. She felt the familiar electric current going through her body and a shiver went down her spine.

“Nothing I can’t handle.”

Jaal’s smile was gone as he stared down at her, “Miraen. If you are in pain, we can always leave. Your recovery is more important.”

Mic smiled reassuringly, “I’m okay, Jaal. Really.”

His smile returned, “You are inspiring, Miraen. Very few people can go through what you did and still stand tall.”

Mic blushed. “Uh… Thanks, Jaal.”

“I mean it… And not just because you took down an Eiroch. Everything that has happened to you. You are … remarkable.”

Mic’s blush grew and she had to look away. Jaal saw the blush and his heart swelled at the thought that he was the reason behind it.

“Mic! It’s great to see you on two feet again,” Reyes announced from the door.

Mic turned to him and smiled. “Reyes! I’m surprised they even let you step onto the Nexus.”

“They might not exactly know that I _am_ on the Nexus...”

Mic laughed and gave Reyes a hug.

“Scoundrel,” she whispered and Reyes chuckled.

“I saw what you did. Very impressive,” Reyes said as Mic released him.

“Saw?”

“Yes. Sara showed me the video you took.”

Mic frowned. She looked to Jaal.

“We wanted to know what happened… I apologize for invading your privacy like that,” Jaal seemed ashamed. Mic was annoyed that they would go through her things, but she couldn’t blame them for being curious… 

“Wait… How long was that video?” Mic asked. She had actually forgotten about that video. What did she say? How much did she say?

“It ended right after the Eiroch landed on you. Such a shame. I would have liked to see Sara help you out of that.”

“Reyes! Come over here!” Sara shouted and Reyes gave a small bow before leaving.

Mic watched him go and then looked at Jaal.

“I never stopped the video… It should have continued until someone shut it off or it ran out of space...”

Jaal smiled, “Sara and I thought that you wouldn’t want anyone else to see that, but we needed to show people something. So we altered the video. No one else knows what came after or most of the things you said during. According to that video, you are a silent assailant. Much more impressing.”

Mic sighed and put a hand on Jaal’s arm.

“Thank you. That means a lot to me,” she said with a smile.

Jaal returned it, but then his smile faltered a little and frowned, “I have to ask, Miraen. Why did you think you shouldn’t call me?”

Mic looked away for a moment, wondering what he meant. Then she remembered how she decided right after calling him that she shouldn’t have and turned back at him, “I didn’t want to bother you.”

“Bother me? Miraen, you were heavily injured. You should never feel like you’re bothering someone in such a time.”

“Jaal, I ...”

“Mic! How the hell does your stereo work?” Liam asked.

“I’ll come show you now! Jaal … It’s hard for me to ask for help, okay?” She put her hand on his arm again and gave it a squeeze, before turning to Liam.

Jaal watched her go with a heavy heart. He wanted her to trust him and ask anything of him, but she was too guarded. For a moment he wondered what exactly made her so hesitant to ask for help, but then Peebee came past with drinks and he decided to let it go. For the moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the word that Jaal uses in this chapter is my own creation. It's a slight deviation on the canon word 'taoshay' that they use in game as a term of endearment.


	20. Chapter 20

The crew partied till late in Mic’s apartment, but she passed out early on the couch, Jaal picking her up and taking her to her bedroom. He tucked her in, staring down at her and putting a hand on her head, before continuing to party with the rest of the crew. By the time they were all partied out, most had taken up a couch or a spot on the floor, while the others went back to the ship. Sara and Reyes had taken up the extra couch in Mic’s room. The only spot left for Jaal, by design from most of the crew, was right next to Mic.

Mic was one of the first to wake up and saw Reyes and Ryder cuddling on the couch next to her bed. She smiled at them, before turning around and staring into Jaal’s sleeping face. Her eyes grew big as she realised that he had slept right next to her for the whole night and right now she was pressed into his chest.

“Fuck,” she whispered as she tried to move away, but she was on the edge of the bed and practically toppled over.

Jaal woke up when she had moved away from him and so he grabbed her around her middle as she was toppling over the edge. He pulled her back into his arms and held her close to his chest. Mic froze. A wave of comfortable bioelectricity rolled over her, but she was too confused to be receptable to the feeling.

“Jaal...” He hummed in response. “Please let go of me,” she begged him in a high pitched tone. He took a second to register her request, before he lifted his arm off of her. She jumped off the bed and rushed into the bathroom, Jaal frowning at her retreating figure.

Mic stayed in the bathroom for longer than necessary, splashing water on her face to cool herself down. She stared at herself in the mirror, shaking her head at herself.

“Get a hold of yourself, Mic. You’re acting like a schoolgirl. Just forget about it.” She stared at herself again, but dropped her head as she realised that she wouldn’t be able to do that. “I need help...” For a moment she stayed like this and then she looked up. “Sara...”

And with that she left the bathroom. Jaal was still on her bed, lifting himself up the moment she opened the door. She avoided his gaze as she made a beeline for her connecting door to her living space. Then she rushed to a cupboard and grabbed something, placing it in a larger box. Then she went to her fridge and took another packet out of the freezer and placed it in the box as well. She sealed it and put a hazardous sticker on it.

She smiled at the box and then put it down on the counter, seeing Jaal staring at her from the door to her room. She immediately looked away and heard someone coming out of her guest bathroom. Liam was yawning as he stepped into the kitchen, smiling as he saw Mic.

“What’s that?” He asked Mic.

“Special project.”

“Sweet… Which means?”

“It’s private.”

He lifted his hands and then moved to wake Peebee up. Mic avoided Jaal’s gaze, which made him very uneasy and so he moved towards her. Cora got in his way, however, when she went to wake Sara and Reyes up. Mic took the chance to move the box away to the front door, shoving Liam into Peebee’s side to wake her up. Peebee moaned in displeasure and then turned right back to sleep. Liam just stared at her and pouted.

Mic ignored them and put the box down. Jaal had moved to the kitchen and she rushed into her bedroom, where Sara and Reyes were grunting at Cora.

“We have to leave soon, Pathfinder. Vetra already let me know that she got everything ready on the ship and Kallo’s ready to go. We’re not supposed to be here for longer than necessary and we need to get Reyes off the Nexus as soon as possible.”

“I know. I know. Just … Five more minutes,” Sara said as she buried her face in Reyes’ chest.

“I give up. Mic. You talk to her,” Cora said as she turned around.

Mic smiled and moved towards Sara.

“Hey, Ugly.” Sara groaned. “Get off my stuff.” Sara groaned again and lifted her middle finger. Mic chuckled and then grabbed Sara’s hand to disentangle her from Reyes. He frowned at her, but she continued with her work. Then she put her one hand under Sara’s back and the other under her knees and lifted.

“Fuck!! Mic!! What the fuck?!” Sara shouted as Mic lifted her up with ease. Reyes’ eyes grew and Cora, who stopped at the door to see what Mic would do, stared in wonder.

“Are you going to get up now?” Mic asked, groaning under the weight.

“Fuck yes! Put me down!” Sara screamed.

Jaal came into the room as Mic slowly put Sara down and his eyes grew. He was impressed, but then he saw her holding her stomach, when Sara was standing and he rushed forward.

Sara pushed past Mic and Reyes followed her into the living room, where Sara then organized the crew that was still in Mic’s apartment.

Jaal put a hand on Mic’s shoulder and she turned to look at him. Her eyes grew for a moment and then she pressed her lips together.

“Yeah?” She asked him.

“Are you okay, Miraen? Did you hurt yourself?”

Mic could feel a concerned bioelectric shock going through her and shook her head slightly.

“I’m fine. Just felt a little sting around my stitches.”

Jaal turned her to him, “Can I take a look?” He asked her.

Her eyes grew, but she needed someone to check up on the wound, so she slowly nodded her head and lifted her shirt, a little flabbergasted, just enough for Jaal to inspect the wound.

He bent down to look at it and saw that there was just a little tear at the edge. A few inches away from the fresh scar was another, older scar. Jaal glanced at it briefly, knowing immediately where it was from, but he didn’t want to make Mic uncomfortable by staring at it. So he stood up again and smiled.

“It’s fine. Just a small tear.”

Mic nodded her head, “Thanks.”

Then the two of them stood silently in her room, only moving when they heard Sara asking if everyone was ready to go. Mic turned around immediately, rushing to grab her bag and then racing into the living space.

Jaal felt dejected at Mic’s sudden coldness towards him and he wanted to know what had made her pull away from him, but he had to wait. Right now, they had to take care of something on Eos and he might not get to talk to her for quite some time.

* * *

Back on the ship, Mic stayed at the research station, checking on Sara’s work and sort of avoiding the tech lab. She was a little freaked out by how she felt that morning when she woke up with Jaal right next to her and how he held her close to him. She could still feel her stomach tumbling at the memory and had to reread what Sara had done to one of her armour sets.

Jaal had waited for her to start her work in the tech lab the entire morning, patiently sitting in his chair and keeping his eye on the door. He wanted to know why she was avoiding him, but she never showed.

In the meantime, they dropped Reyes off on a hidden comet where he had stashed his shuttle and then landed on Eos and chased the Roekaar away, protecting the colony. Mic used the time that Sara and Jaal were out to go into the tech lab and work on a few reports.

A few hours later, she got a request from Lexi to help her in the medbay. Mic dropped her work and rushed to the medbay. Sara was sitting on one of the cots, Lexi checking on her foot and on the other cot, was Jaal. He had taken his armour off and was now just in a shirt.

“Mic, would you take care of Jaal’s wound for me?” Lexi asked, not looking up from the scan of Sara’s foot.

“Sure, Doctor.” 

Mic moved towards Jaal and he turned his arm towards her. She avoided his eyes as she cleaned the wound and stitched him up. While concentrating on the wound, she didn’t notice when Lexi and Sara stood up silently and left the medbay. Only after Jaal cleared his throat and she looked up at him, did she realise that they were alone.

“Miraen, are you okay?” Jaal asked concernedly.

“Yes. I’m fine,” she blurted out.

“Why are you avoiding me?” Jaal simply asked. 

Mic could feel a strange sadness from him and she blinked rapidly. “I’m not avoiding you.”

“Yes you are.”

Mic pressed her lips together and then looked down at the wound on his arm.

“I was just … Uh … I wasn’t… I … You were in my bed and … Uhm …” She swallowed and took a deep breath to look up at him. She looked lost and held her breath.

Jaal could see her discomfort, so he took her hand in his and quietly asked, “Did I invade on your privacy?” Mic let a breath out and slowly nodded her head. “I apologize, Miraen. I would not want you to be uncomfortable around me.” 

She looked up at him and saw his sincerity reflected in his eyes. He pressed her hand a little tighter and she relaxed with his bioelectric hum washing over her. They stood like this for a while, Mic entirely lost in his eyes, when Jaal’s omni tool went off. The two of them stared at the device for a moment, when Jaal turned back to her.

“It’s my mother. I would … Uhm...” Mic assumed that he wanted to talk to his mother alone and so she took her hand out of his and took a step back.

“I have to go check on something,” she said with a smile.

Jaal returned it, “Thank you, Miraen.”

She nodded her head and then left the medbay, hearing him answer his mother’s call after the doors closed behind her.

Sara was standing outside of the medbay and perked up the moment Mic came out.

“So?”

“You and I need to talk,” Mic simply said as she grabbed Sara’s hand and dragged her to the tech lab, where she picked up the mysterious box and carried it to Sara’s room. When the two of them were in the room, Mic locked the door and turned to Sara.

“What’s in the box?”

“Some help for what I have to do,” Mic said mysteriously as she opened the box and revealed a bottle of vodka and a box of chocolates.

Sara chuckled at the sight of Mic’s supplies and followed her to sit down on the couch.

“So what do you have to do?” Sara ask.

“Admit something to you,” Mic said as she opened the bottle and took a sip. The drink burned her throat, but she enjoyed the feeling.

“And what would that be?” Sara asked as she grabbed the bottle.

“I like Jaal,” Mic groaned and buried her face in her hands. Sara spit the drink out as she laughed, while Mic glared at her. Sara continued to giggle and put a comforting hand on Mic’s leg.

“Oh, you poor, innocent thing. I knew.”

“What?!” Mic exclaimed and Sara giggled again.

“I’ve known for a while now. You actually allow him to touch you and you told him what happened to you in the Milky Way, before you even told me!”

Mic groaned as she leaned against Sara. “You bitch. Why didn’t you say anything?”

“Would you have admitted it before?”

Mic was silent for a while and then looked up at Sara, pouting a little. “I would have on Kadara Port.”

“Wait… You’ve known for a while?” Mic nodded her head. “You bitch! Why didn’t you tell ME?!”

“You were so busy with everything else and you and Reyes just started your relationship… It didn’t seem like the right time.”

Sara smiled sympathetically and then pulled Mic into a hug. “Oh you poor, useless woman.”

“Fuck you.”

“You know you’re useless when it comes to feelings, but I didn’t think you would be this bad at it.”

“Well, you know, it might have something to do with the fact that his people doesn’t trust us and that a relationship between the two of us would cause a big stir on both sides and I REALLY doubt that he would be up for that.”

“Have you asked him?”

“FUCK NO!” 

“Then how can you be sure?”

Mic stared unimpressed at Sara, “I’m not going to put him in an awkward situation because I think he’s hot. This is just a crush… It’ll blow over.”

“You think?” Sara smiled.

“Yes… No … Shut up.” Mic grabbed the bottle and took another sip.

They were silent for a while, when Sara opened the chocolates and said, “Jaal asked that you come with us to get his siblings back. I said it was okay if you were up for it.”

“Ugh… I don’t think I’d be much help.”

“You’d be great moral support.”

“Oh sure, I’ll stand at the sidelines with my pom-poms and cheer...” Sara giggled and Mic shook her head, “Besides, I don’t have anything to protect me. My armour was destroyed.”

“Are you trying to get out of this?” Sara asked.

Mic turned away, looking a little guilty.

“Mic...”

“What? It’s not like I’m important for the mission and I’m still recovering...”

“Didn’t he ask you to come along?”

Mic groaned, “Yes...”

“And you said you would?” Mic groaned again, but this time nodded her head. “Then I’m afraid you’re coming with us. Broken or not. And don’t give me that bullshit about your armour being destroyed. I have an extra set somewhere.”

Mic glared at her, “Aren’t you supposed to tell me that I shouldn’t risk my recovery by going on a mission I’m not essential for?”

Sara shrugged, “Maybe I think you’re full of shit and need to do this to improve your relationship with Jaal and his family.”

“Why should I?!”

Sara smiled knowingly, she wanted to say something to reassure Mic that she had every reason to be there with Jaal, but instead she said, “Because the more people the angara trust, the better for the Initiative. And you’re pretty important in the Initiative. The idea of a Hero of the Nexus forming a close relationship with an entire angaran family would be great for morale on the Nexus and for the angara to see that even the scariest of us are trustworthy.”

Mic eyed Sara suspiciously, “Since when do you think about how a relationship would look to the Nexus? That sounds suspiciously a lot like Tann.”

Sara chuckled and shook her head, “It’s not like that. Some of the angara still seem a little hostile, so I talked to Jaal about it and he said it’s because they haven’t really seen an interaction of our species with their families. They want to see an entire family accepting someone from the Nexus.”

“Really?” Mic asked with a raised brow.

Sara smiled and nodded her head.

Just then Jaal came into the room, seeming distressed. 

“Ryder, I need your help...”

* * *

Jaal had pleaded with Sara that they leave for Havarl immediately and she had sprung up and ran for the bridge, leaving Jaal and Mic alone in her room. Jaal had stood fidgeting at the door, not knowing what to do. Mic could see that he was distressed and even though she would have liked to keep her distance from Jaal to avoid any kind of awkwardness, she looked at him and patted the seat right next to her. Jaal perked up at her movement and she moved a little to the side.

Of course, he sat down right next to her and she turned a little to the side to frown. Then her eye fell on the bottle of vodka. She leaned forward and grabbed it, first offering it to Jaal. He shook his head and she shrugged. Then she opened the bottle and took a large sip and leaned forward, feeling the familiar burning sensation. Jaal stared at her.

Mic turned to look at Jaal and softly asked, “Are you okay, Jaal?”

He stared wide-eyed at her, “Are you?”

Mic chuckled slightly. “This is nothing. I’m fine.” She took a deep breath and turned serious. “You on the other hand, have missing siblings and I bet a whole house full of worried mothers and other family members. Not to mention the fact that these are your siblings and I can’t even imagine what you’re going through.” She put a comforting hand on his shoulder and Jaal shuddered at the feeling. For a moment Mic was confused at his reaction, but she didn’t take her hand away.

Jaal put his hand on hers, “I cannot believe they joined the Roekaar. Akksul has poisoned them with his hatred of aliens… They shouldn’t have been allowed to talk to him… Miraen … You… I can’t bring my family back alone.”

Mic smiled reassuringly, “You aren’t going to. Sara and I will be right next to you.”  _Oh gods, this isn’t a good idea. I’m still in pain most of the time… But I already promised … And I do like the guy … Somebody hit me before I promise something else to this gorgeous man._

Jaal smiled broadly, “No hesitation. That is what I love about you...” He took her hand in his and stared deeply into her eyes.

Mic felt her stomach tumble at those words and her eyes grew as she stared into those oceanic eyes.

But she quickly shook her head and leaned away from him, “No hesitation? Clearly you don’t know me that well.”

Jaal looked a bit hurt, but then his smile returned, “I would like to rectify that.”

Mic felt the warmth spread all over her chest, up her neck and into her cheeks. Jaal’s smile grew as he saw the blush creeping up her face.

_That’s it. When we get back to Voeld, I’m burying myself in the snow…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's been a while, but things are a bit crazy on my side. I'm writing 4 exams this week ... But I did get to write this earlier and just haven't been able to update. I hope you enjoy it.


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter is a bit long, but I felt that it was needed.
> 
> Sorry for the delay, but life kind of got a bit crazy on my side and so I was very distracted and couldn't get this up, but it's here now.
> 
> So I hope you enjoy :)

Jaal and Mic stayed in Sara’s room all the way to Havarl, but when they were close enough to see the planet from the window, Jaal left to get dressed in his room. Mic was alone for a few minutes and she stretched a little to shrug the tingling feeling from her body. Sara came in and threw an armour set in Mic’s direction.

“Get dressed. We’re leaving in ten minutes.”

Mic nodded her head and quickly pulled the armour on, clenching her jaw at the pain in her arm and leg. The armour fit a little awkwardly over her casks, but after a few adjustments, they fit snugly against her limbs. When she was fully suited, Sara pointed to the wall, where Mic’s weapons were stashed.

“Thank God you kept them. I hate having to figure out new weapons.”

“You have to tell me the story behind those guns one day.”

Mic smiled mysteriously, “One day.”

When they were both dressed, they walked out of Sara’s room together, Mic diverting to the medbay for a moment to grab some first aid supplies, before she joined Sara at the ramp.

“Who else are you taking with us?”

“No one...”

Mic stared at Sara, “I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I’m not exactly in tiptop shape… And Lexi will probably pull me back onto the ship if she found out that I was going with you...”

Sara’s eyes grew. “Who do you think I should take with us?”

Mic thought for a moment, before simply saying, “Drack and Liam.”

“Why?”

“Well, we can’t take an all human team with us, because that would look like you’re playing favourites with your own species, which isn’t the message we want to send. And besides, Drack is more than perfect for the job and Liam is good friends with Jaal. I’m sure he’d appreciate the moral support.”

Sara nodded her head, typed on her omnitool and then they waited. 

Jaal was the first to arrive and after Sara told him that they were waiting for Drack and Liam, he gently pulled Mic aside.

“Miraen… Thank you for coming. This means … everything to me.” He smiled as he took her hands in his. 

She slumped her shoulders and pouted slightly. “Jaal, are you sure you want to take me … an alien, with you?”

Jaal squeezed her hands as his smile grew, “You will give the Roekaar a different perspective.”

“Me? The limping, quiet alien?” Mic raised her brows in disbelief.

Jaal chuckled, ”Yes. You have no idea what influence  _you_ can have on the Roekaar.”

Mic stared at him, but before she could ask what exactly he meant by those words, Drack and Liam came closer and they made their way down the ramp with Sara. Jaal pulled her along and started telling Sara where exactly they were going.

Mic slipped her hand out of his as they made their way to the compound, silently limping behind him. Drack fell into step with Mic, putting a comforting hand on her shoulders. Mic frowned as she looked up at him.

“What’s that for?”

Drack shrugged, “You seem worried.” Is all he said as he took one of his guns off his back and checked the ammo.

Mic nodded her head. “That might be because I’m going on a mission I shouldn’t be on.”

Drack chuckled, “You’re needed on this one, I can promise you.”

Mic stared at him and narrowed her eyes. “Why does everyone think that?”

Drack chuckled again and picked up his pace to move next to the rest. Mic was left at the back, slowly making her way behind the group towards the compound and up the stairs to the shuttle. There, Jaal and Sara spoke to an angaran woman, while Mic checked on her guns.

“Mic!” She spun around as she heard her name and saw Vela walking up the stairs towards her.

“Vela!” She put her gun back in place and hugged the angaran woman, feeling the tingling of her bioelectricity.

“Look at you. Dressed in armour like you’re going to fight.” Mic shrugged her shoulders and smiled. “You are?!”

Mic nodded, “Yeah. We’re on our way to a Roekaar base to find Jaal’s siblings.”

Vela looked worried and wrapped Mic in another embrace. She held her close for a moment, before pulling back and staring into her eyes, “You will be safe, yes?”

Mic smiled, “As safe as I can be in the middle of a fight.”

Vela turned sombre for a moment, but then Jaal emerged next to Mic and a smile spread over her face.

“Jaal, I’ve heard a few rumours about you from Efvra...”

Jaal smiled, “Really? And what would they be?”

“That my dear friend Mic is your taasharay...” She let the words drift as her eyes and smile grew.

Jaal sputtered for a moment as Mic raised her eyebrows. “I’m a what?” Mic asked, but Jaal grabbed her by the shoulder and pulled her towards the shuttle.

“We’ll talk when we get back, Vela. Stay strong and clear!” Jaal exclaimed as he pushed Mic towards the awaiting shuttle.

Behind them, Mic could hear Vela muttering, “Didn’t he tell her already?” But before she could ask more about what they had just spoken about, she was ushered into the shuttle and took her seat next to Drack. Sara took her place across from Mic and Jaal sat down right next to Mic, Liam next to Sara.

Mic felt rather small in the shuttle’s seats, since they were made for angara and she was shorter and smaller than most angara. But the seatbelts crossed comfortably across her chest and she leaned forward to stare at the side of the shuttle.

Sara was fiddling with her gloves and looking at the floor and Mic could see the worry in her shoulders, so she leaned a bit closer to Sara and reached her right hand out. Sara stared at her hand for a moment, before grabbing it and giving it a grateful squeeze. The two women stared at each other and shared a small smile. 

Jaal watched the two of them smile at each other and smiled as well. Sara saw him fidgeting with his hands as well and gave Mic a knowing stare. Mic frowned as Sara’s eyes darted towards Jaal and sighed inwardly. She didn’t want to touch the guy more than was necessary, especially right now that she was still crushing on him. But as she turned to look at him and saw how worried he was, still fidgeting with his own hands, she knew she had to give him some form of moral support. And wasn’t that exactly the reason why she was actually here?

So she placed her elbow on her leg and her palm up towards Jaal. He stared at her hand for a moment, then looked at her. He saw the small smile playing on her lips and then grabbed her hand without further hesitation.

A grateful shock went through her and her smile grew slightly.

“What is it with all of this touchy-feely stuff?” Drack interrupts with a wave of his shotgun.

Sara turns to him and frowns for a split-second, before she smiles and says, “Aww, Drack. If you wanted to be a part of it, you should have said so.” She and Liam stands up and throws their arms around Drack’s shoulders. 

He retreats and grumbles, but then moments later, pats Sara on the shoulder and when she pulls back, he has a small smile on his face.

Mic chuckles at the sight of Drack and Sara sharing a moment, Liam standing at the back and smiling, her left hand still in Jaal’s. Sara joins in Mic’s chuckle as she takes the seat on the other side of Drack and starts talking to him in a whisper. Mic turns her attention back to the floor as a strange electric shock goes through her. She turns to look at Jaal, but he is staring at her hand.

She watches him as he holds her hand and seems transfixed by it.

“Hey, angaran.” Jaal looks at Drack. “What’s the plan exactly?”

Jaal straightens as he looks over Mic to talk, “Just follow my lead. We’ll get my family back.”

Everyone stares at Jaal for a moment, before Drack grunts, “That’s not much of a plan, angaran… I like it. Easy to remember.”

Mic chuckles as they set down at the Forge, letting go of Jaal’s hand to grab her gun.

* * *

They landed at the govataan, where there was no one to greet them or shoot at them. Mic felt uneasy as they continued into the settlement, going into buildings, trying to figure out where all of the scientists are. She listens as Jaal explains what the govataan is and what they do at the Forge, while she scans the buildings for signs of struggle or rests at the door.

Her leg hurts whenever she stands too long on it or if she jogs, but she hides it as well as she can, focusing on her surroundings and looking for anyone, wondering if she would first see Roekaar or scientists. Jaal is distracted by their surroundings, worried for his people and his siblings, but he does see Mic clenching her jaw and leaning slightly against the walls and feels guilty that he even thought of asking her to come with them. His guilt grows when he sees Mic sit down for a moment from the corner of his eye, before she quickly stands up again and walks deeper into the govataan.

She can hear voices on the other side of a door, but the others haven’t noticed yet. When she turns to the rest of the team, she sees Jaal staring at her and beckons him closer. He walks towards her and the rest of the team follow him. They line up on the sides of the doors, Mic staying at the back, before opening the doors.

They quickly dispatch the first two guards, before walking towards the other door. When those doors open, they are met with gunfire and Mic dives behind cover as quickly as she can, her leg and chest screaming in protest. They make quick work of the Roekaar, Mic providing covering fire and calling enemies as she saw them. Sara and Drack ran ahead most of the time, running into the heat of the fight as Jaal and Liam stayed with her. She got most of the Roekaar, feeling a little guilty that she was killing Jaal’s people, but when she glanced at him, she saw his determination and felt a little less guilty about it.

When the immediate threat had been taken care of, they made their way to the last of the buildings, Jaal telling them that they only had a bridge between them and the Forge. Upon opening the doors, Mic wonders at the beautiful bridge, before explosions throw her off balance and the bridge goes up in smoke. She leans slightly against the wall as she recovers herself, not really listening to what Sara and the others are talking about.

“Only way is to jump. Who wants to go first?” Sara asks as she stares down the ravine.

Everyone is quiet and Mic sees that no one is willing to do it. So she walks over to stand next to Sara, seeing a small landing that is just close enough for her to make it if she has a running start and activates her jets at the right moment. She considers the jump for another moment, as everyone else is still discussing alternatives, Jaal trying to think of any other way to the Forge, before walking back. NO one really pays attention as she walks away from the side, assuming that she is just going to wait for them to come up with a solution.

Mic lines herself up, puts her gun away and takes a deep breath.

_Just like cliff diving. Except I’m going to land on solid ground… No biggie._

Mic dashes past the team, everyone seeing her run and shouting for her to stop, but they’re too late. Mic flies through the air and activates her jets as she’s in the middle of her jump. She sees the ground coming closer and knows that she’s made it. With a loud thud, she rolls as she lands on the other side, but her joy at making the jump is short lived as she feels a shooting pain go through her leg and abdomen.

She leans forward, doubling over as the pain seeps through her, also noticing a warm ooze around her stomach.

“MIC! WHAT THE FUCK?!” Sara shouts.

“Miraen! Are you okay?!”

_No time to think about what that is_ , she thinks to herself as she turns around with a smile.

“The landing’s a bit hard,” she chuckles. 

Liam and Drack start laughing, before they walk back to copy Mic’s jump. Sara and Jaal join the others as Mic moves to the side to leave the landing spot open for them. While they’re still gearing up to jump, she quickly opens her scanner and sees that her leg has fractured and that her wound on her stomach had opened a little. There is also bigger cracks on her ribs than when she started this whole thing. She bites the inside of her cheek and knows that she won’t be able to hide an injury from the rest. She had known that this would be a possibility, but she wasn’t going to let it stop her. Besides, it wasn’t like she could turn around now or fix it…

Jaal is the first to land behind her and she quickly closes her scanner, turning to look at him. He rushes towards her, grabbing her by the shoulders as he stares worriedly at her.

“Are you all right, Miraen?” 

Mic smiles. “Just sprained my ankle a bit during the landing, but otherwise, I’m perfectly fine,” she lies.

Liam lands right after Jaal, then Drack follows quickly after.

“Guys! Look out! Enemies!” Sara shouts as she jumps over the ravine. Mic ducks behind cover just in time as gunfire sprays around them.

They make quick work of the Roekaar, all the while pushing towards the top of the ridge. Mic and Jaal stay at the back, sniping anyone in sight. Mic grits her teeth everytime they rush forward to new cover, trying not to yelp in pain whenever she steps on her one leg. At some point, she stops momentarily behind cover and injects a painkiller into her leg, hoping that it would start working quickly.

Jaal notices her silence, but he can’t stop to make sure she’s okay, since the Roekaar seem to surround them. Sara also turns around every now and again to check up on Mic, before she has to take care of another Roekaar.

Before they reach the top, they seem to have taken care of all of the Roekaar in the vicinity. Mic leans heavily on a boulder, before she pushes herself up, feeling the pain in her body subside and walks easier up the stairs. Sara and the rest of the team had already made their way up the stairs and are staring at the view. 

When Mic sees the view unfold in front of her, she takes in a sharp breath at the beauty. She walks slowly towards the edge, smiling slightly at the magnificent sunset and feeling a familiar sense of wonder.

Jaal sees her coming up the stairs and smiles when she starts to smile at the spectacular sight. He can’t take his eyes off of her as she walks past him, her face basking in the beautiful light of the setting sun. She seems so beautiful in that moment, that Jaal lifts his arm and quickly takes a photo of her. He looks down at the photo for a moment and decides that it does Mic justice.

He walks towards Mic and stops beside her, whispering to her, “I wanted to bring you here to see this, but under different circumstances… Maybe we can come back again some day and I can show you this place in all of its magnificence.”

Mic turns to look confusedly at Jaal’s words, wondering what he means by them and why he wanted to bring her here.

But before she can ask him, Sara grabs Mic by the shoulder, “We have to have a talk about doing reckless shit. I thought you were supposed to be the calm and calculated one?! What the fuck was that back there?!”

Mic shrugs as she says, “I am. I made my calculations and did what was necessary. We are in a hurry, aren’t we?” She lifts her eyebrows innocently.

Sara groans and shakes her head, before pulling Mic close and hugging her tightly. Mic whimpers when Sara presses too tightly around her ribs and she immediately lets go of Mic.

“Sorry,” she whispers. Mic shrugs her shoulders again and Sara shakes her head, before shaking Mic by the shoulders. “Don’t ever do that again.”

Mic nods her head as Sara gives her another hug, this time being much gentler. Then she lets go of Mic and moves towards the Forge again, ordering everyone to get to it. Jaal takes a hold of Mic’s hand for a moment, giving it a squeeze, before rushing after Sara to show her the way.

As they make their way up another set of stairs, a bout of gunshots rang around them and Mic dived behind cover, grunting slightly. She reloaded as she heard the voices of the angara talking to each other. Jaal was a few meters in front of her with Sara and Drack, Liam taking cover at a neighbouring boulder.

“Intruders. I count four.”

_Now who are they missing?_ Mic thought to herself as she lifted her gun to take aim. Before she could get a good view of the Roekaar, she heard Jaal begging Sara to wait. She kept her sights on the Roekaar and noticed that they weren’t shooting in her direction.

_Guess they must have missed me…_

“I know those voices…” Jaal said and Mic looked as he turned to break cover. She shook her head, but didn’t say anything, just turned around and opened her armour around her stomach to check on her wound. She couldn’t see it well, but there was a little bit of blood flowing down her stomach and staining the shirt she wore underneath the armour. She quickly applied medigel as she heard Jaal talk to the Roekaar. She could faintly hear them walking towards each other and then a scuffle, before it fell silent. In the meantime, she covered herself up and grabbed one of the painkillers, sticking the needle in her arm and feeling the pain subside around her arm and leg. It wasn’t exactly a good idea to administer painkillers to herself right now, but hey, desperate times…

“Baranjj. Our mothers sent me.” She assumed that was Jaal.

“All of them?” _Probably Baranjj._

“Did our mothers sent this human too?” _Female angara. Sara probably joined their conversation._

“I’m Ryder. Pathfinder with the Initiative.” _Yes. Confidence. Nice._

“I should kill you right now.” _Not on my fucking watch,_ Mic thought as she broke cover enough to see what was going on. No one had apparently noticed her yet and no one was holding their guns. _Good, means I can chill momentarily_ , she thought as she ducked back down again and leaned against the cover. Her wound was still throbbing and her arm was stinging, so she took this little break to gather herself. 

”Teviint … please.”

“Why’d they send you?” One of the brothers asked.

“Because we’ve lost enough to the kett. They’re afraid to lose you to this insane cause.”

“But … Jaal-”

“I want you to meet my friends. So you can see that Akksul is wrong. And also to meet Miraen… Miraen?” Jaal asked with concern in his voice.

_Goddammit, I wanted to stay out of this._

“Miraen? Where are you?” Slowly, Mic lifted her hand to reveal her cover. She could hear someone running towards her and moments later Jaal was standing right next to her, grabbing her hand and pulling her towards the small group, who was now eyeing Sara suspiciously. “This is Miraen. She’s … “

“His taasharay,” Sara filled in when he left the last words out.

All of the angara in front of Jaal jumped back and stared at her in shock. The female seemed disgusted, while the other two were dumbstruck.

“Jaal...” The bigger angara began.

“No. This cannot be,” the female whispered.

Mic turned to look at Sara, who was right next to her and practically beaming.

“Fill me in,” she whispered to Sara.

Sara just smiled and shook her head.

The female came charging at Mic, “Is this true?”

Mic didn’t move as the angara practically pressed her face into hers. She could feel a reassuring wave from Jaal, spurring her on to admit to it and Sara gave her a pat on the back.

“Yes.” The angara whipped her head around to stare Jaal and an awkward silence fell over the group.

One of Jaal’s brothers walked forward and pushed the female out of the way, “Akksul is going to blow this place up.” 

Mic felt a worried shock go through her and she looked at Jaal.

“Lathoul!” The female shouted.

“That’s why he sent the researchers away,” Lathoul continued unhindered.

“Stop talking...”

“He has bombs. Stolen from your people,” he turned to Sara and Mic with those words.

Sara stepped forward, “If those bombs go off, it’ll look like the Initiative did it.” She looks worried at Mic and then Jaal.

“We have to disarm them,” Jaal said next to Mic.

Mic saw Lathoul stepping forward and he obstructed her view. “I’ll take you to-” He shouted in pain as Mic heard a gunshot echo against the walls. Her eyes grew as Lathoul fell forward. Jaal and Sara grabbed his arms as Mic immediately opened her medical scanner on her omnitool and lifted her arm to scan Lathoul.

They lay him down right in front of Mic and Jaal turned to look at his sister, “Teviint...”

Teviint was holding the smoking gun and her face was blank for just a moment. Then she dropped the gun and her eyes grew in shock. She looked horrified at what she had just done, but Mic couldn’t care about that now. Lathoul was her priority.

Lathoul grabbed Jaal and grunted, “No, no, no – the bombs. In the Forge. I’m okay, Jaal. I’ll be fine.”

Sara grabbed Mic’s shoulder, “Is he gonna make it?”

Mic stared at her scans and gave a sigh as she nodded.

Lathoul looked at her as she switched her omnitool off and then started to unclasp his armour. He turned to look at Sara then.

“I hate Akksul- don’t let him win.”

Sara grabbed his hand as she nodded, “You got it.”

Jaal watched as Mic continued to take Lathoul’s armour off and put his hand on her shoulder and whispered, “I’m glad you’re here.”

Mic whipped her head up and frowned at him. Then she pointed towards the opening to the caves as she exclaimed, “Bombs. Go. I’ll take care of him. I’m dead weight anyway.” And then she grabbed Lathoul’s shoulder. “This is going to hurt a little.” And lifted him up so that she could take the armour off and get to his wound.

Jaal smiled as Sara helped him up and then went charging into the caves, with Drack and Liam in tow.

* * *

Mic only took a second to watch them go, before she looked around to investigate their surroundings. She saw a container a few feet in front of them and helped Lathoul to lean against the boulder that was close by. Then she pulled the container towards them, groaning with every pang of pain that went through her, handed him her pistol and leaned him forward.

Gunshots rang from the other caves and Mic felt her stomach contract and her heart clench at the sound, worried for her friends. She took shallow breaths as she stared at the wound on Lathoul’s back, forcing herself to focus on the task at hand.

There was a small lesion on his back where the impact of the bullet broke his skin. Mic knew there was going to be a big bruise there, but he was going to be fine.

“So … You’re Jaal’s taasharay?” Lathoul broke the silence.

Mic looked up for a moment and then took a deep breath, “Apparently...”

“You’re not sure?”

Mic put some medigel on the small wound as she said, “Well, no one’s told me what a taasharay is exactly.”

“Then why did you admit to Teviint that you were?” Lathoul asked as he turned to look at her. 

Mic sighed as she put a bandage on the wound. “I’m not sure exactly … Jaal and Sa- the Pathfinder sort of gave me the impression that I should admit to it… I just went with it.”

Lathoul nodded his head and smiled, “So you trusted Jaal blindly?”

Mic snorted and then nodded her head as well, “I did.”

They were quiet for a long time as Mic helped Lathoul to get dressed again. The caves were silent as well. She made sure that his armour was clasped and then stood up to survey the area. Lathoul handed her, her pistol back, but she just shook her head. “Keep it for now. Your weapons are too far away and I won’t risk either of us to go look for them,” she simply said as she checked her rifle for ammo.

Lathoul’s eyes grew as he took cover right next to her, grunting slightly at the pain in his back. “You would trust me with a weapon? Even after I shot at you?”

Mic shrugged as she looked at him, “I’m not exactly at my best right now and could take all the help I can get. And besides, you sort of renounced the Roekaar so … I’m going to take a leap of faith.”

Lathoul’s eyes grew and then he started to smile as he held his hand out for Mic to take. She frowned a little at the gesture, but then she took a breath and took a hold of his hand. The shock that went through her from Lathoul was a lot less intense than with Jaal and she wondered for a moment what the reason behind it could be, but she had other things to worry about as a single shot suddenly rang out from deep within the caves.


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late update. Holidays are a bit crazy and I don't always have access to internet. But here's the next chapter, so hope you enjoy :)

Jaal and Sara walked into the large cave, Sara feeling eyes watching her from every corner. She twitched when Teviint came running into the cave, but quickly lowered her gun, giving Drack the eye when he kept his shotgun aimed at the angara. He grunted as he lowered his gun as well. Liam stayed behind them, watching the rest of the angara.

“Jaal! Jaal! I killed Lathoul! I killed him. I’m so sorry,” Teviint cried as she came running into Jaal’s arms.

Jaal seemed a little ticked off, but a soft smile was on his face, “He’s not dead. Miraen is taking care of him.” He put a comforting hand on her shoulder as Teviint stared at him.

She looked shocked for a bit, but then her face fell and she shook her head, “I lost my mind, Jaal. I want to go home.”

It was Baranjj’s turn to look shocked, “But the cause! I joined because of you.”

“I shot our brother, Baranjj.”

“Don’t leave me-”

“Let her go. I only want soldiers who are committed to our cause – Not weaklings who stand by and watch the destruction of our people – at the hands of aliens!” Akksul said as he emerged from the shadows.

Sara could see Roekaar above them and felt frightened at the idea that she might have to fight them. She hoped that it wouldn’t come to that, but kept her gun out just in case. What would Mic say? Be confident?

“Blowing up your sacred place is pretty drastic. You’re cause is falling apart… And so are you,” she shouted at Akksul.

“I speak for our people! And I say you-” He lifted his hands menacingly at Sara and she responded by lifting her gun, “- are done in Heleus.”

“Ryder, don’t!” Jaal said as he stepped forward.

Akksul started to laugh, “Martyr me. Please. I dare you.”

Sara could feel the annoyance bubbling up inside of her as Akksul looked down at her. He had that self-righteous smirk and she had to fight back the urge to slap it off his face.

“I made a promise to my friend that you’re making really hard to keep,” she growled.

Akksul turned to the rest of the Roekaar, “They move onto our planets. They take our resources. Make us weak.”

Jaal turned to speak to the Roekaar, “I’ve watched Ryder make planets habitable!”

“Exactly! And they’ll never let us forget it!”

“She rescued our beloved Moshae-”

“I know...”

“Along with my taasharay.”

Whispers erupted among the Roekaar at Jaal’s words.

Sara smiled at Jaal as his eyes lit up by just talking about Mic. He turned to his omnitool for a moment and then lifted his arm to show the picture of Mic, her face complemented by the rosy sunset and making her seem at peace. She looks lost in thought and Sara can see Jaal beaming at the sight of Mic.

“She and the Pathfinder saved the Moshae’s life. My taasharay even took down an Eiroch all by herself. She’s still recovering from her encounter with the beast, but she came here to help me reunite my family. Right now, she’s over that ridge, healing my brother after Teviint shot him-“ Teviint looked down in guilt. “She even saved Efvra’s cousin, Vela, from the kett.”

“Stop defending them!” Akksul shouted.

“The Moshae trusts the Pathfinder and gave my taasharay and I her blessing-”

Akksul looked enraged as he lifted his gun in Jaal’s direction and shouted, “Stop! We’ve been fighting the wrong enemy. Maybe the enemy is this traitor! The one who ‘bonds’ with the aliens...” Akksul added with disgust.

“Easy...” Jaal began.

“Jaal? Mic will kill me if something happens to you...” Sara whispers as she pointed her gun directly at Akksul. Drack cocks his shotgun right behind Sara, looking excited at the prospect of a fight.

“Don’t ...” Jaal says to Sara. He turns to Akksul, “The Moshae trusts Ryder. You’ve become a danger to your own people. Walk away.”

Akksul shakes his head slightly, “Or… I kill you and reveal the Resistance for the traitors they are.”

Akksul pulls the trigger and the projectile flies through the air, grazing Jaal’s cheek. The cave falls silent as everyone realises what just happened. The Roekaar look to each other and then at Akksul. He seems worried about their reaction and when they start to disperse they can see the pain and regret in him. Jaal shook his head in disappointment.

“The aliens are not the monsters here,” Jaal said.

“I love my people,” Akksul pleaded with the Roekaar.

Jaal turned to his siblings and Ryder, “Come on. Let’s get you home.”

Sara grabbed Jaal by the shoulder and he turned to her for a moment, “Are you okay?”

He smiled slightly, “Yeah. Thanks.”

* * *

Mic and Lathoul stared at the caves where they heard the gunshot from, both quiet and worried. Mic could feel the worry from Lathoul, but she kept her eyes on the caves.

“Alien? Science alien?” Mic heard the angaran shuttle pilot’s voice over her comms and she chuckled. 

Lathoul stared at her as she just shook her head and opened her comm link on her omnitool, “I hear you, pilot.”

There was a short static, “The Pathfinder told me to pick you up at the clearing close to you. Can you make it there?”

“Yes, I’ll be there. Along with Lathoul.”

“Good.”

Mic turned her omnitool off and turned to Lathoul. “You okay to walk?” He nodded. She stood up and offered him her hand. He took it gratefully and both of them grunted as she helped him get to his feet. His legs were still a bit wobbly from the shock, so she draped his arm around her shoulders. Lathoul stared at the small woman who was easily taking his weight. She grunted a little under the added weight, but then continued towards the clearing. Her leg started to scream in protest, but she ignored it as best she could.

They made it there as the shuttle landed and Mic helped Lathoul to get in. She checked him over again as she heard the rest of the team come closer to the ship. After she was certain that Lathoul was fine, she turned around and saw Sara and Jaal, together with Jaal’s siblings, Drack and Liam slumping behind. She smiled as she thought about how disappointed Drack must be that he didn’t get a big fight. Then she noticed how Jaal and Sara were whispering to each other and Sara seemed strangely scared.

Mic watched them come closer, smiling as the anxiety subsided in her stomach. It was short lived though, as she saw the new scar on Jaal’s face. Her throat clenched at the sight and she felt that familiar dread settling in her stomach. She hated seeing those she cared about hurt. She’s seen too many she cares about die. Taking a deep breath, she jumps out of the shuttle and walks towards Sara and Jaal. 

Lathoul kept an eye on her the whole time and saw the worry settle in her and he smiles, knowing that the strange alien does care for his brother.

Sara sees her coming closer, with that emotionless expression and immediately goes on the defensive, “We survived. We’re fine. Nobody got badly hurt. Just a scratch.”

Mic’s gaze settles momentarily on her and then she just wordlessly lifts her arm and activates her omnitool. She scans a groaning Sara, moves momentarily over Drack and Liam and then fixing the scanner on Jaal. They’re clearly exhausted, the adrenaline subsiding, and Mic closes her eyes for a moment, grateful that they are fine. Then she turns to Jaal and very calmly says, “Let’s get some medigel on that.” And gestures for him to follow her.

He climbs into the shuttle after her and takes the seat she points out to him. She is quiet and her face reveals nothing, so Jaal becomes worried. He tries to catch her eye, but she is rummaging through the medkit. After a few moments, she takes out a medigel container, opens it and then turns to Jaal. She doesn’t look him in the eye as she brings her fingers with the medigel closer to his wound. She knows it won’t take the scar away, but it will prevent infections.

Jaal watches her intently, as does everyone else in the shuttle. His siblings are quiet as they take their seats.

Mic softly presses her fingers against Jaal’s face and feels the familiar hum and shock go through her, but she ignores it as best she can. Jaal’s eyes close at the touch and takes a deep breath. Her fingers graze the wound ever so slightly and Jaal groans softly. She eases her hands away for a moment, waiting for Jaal to give her permission to continue. He looks up at her, staring at her before tilting his head towards her hand. She takes it as a sign of permission and continues with her work, this time putting less pressure on the wound. Jaal’s eyes close again as Mic spreads the medigel over the wound, feeling a strange vibration coming from Jaal.

When she is done, she takes her hand away a bit reluctantly, before quietly closing the medigel container and puts it back into the medkit. Then she turns to take a seat next to Sara, just as the shuttle takes off.

Jaal’s siblings surround him almost immediately and they start talking in whispers to each other. Mic looks down at the floor and clenches her fists. 

“He’ll be fine. Just a scratch,” Sara whispers to Mic. Mic doesn’t acknowledge her words though, so Sara leans in closer and very softly says, “Besides, he looks kinda hot with another scar.”

Mic freezes and then slowly turns to look at Sara, seeming shocked, but then her expression changes into a glare. Sara starts to chuckle at her friend, as Mic lifts her hands as if she is going to strangle Sara.

“Why would you say that?!” She whispers, but it isn’t soft enough and Jaal and his siblings turn to look at her. She only glances at them quickly, then drops her hands, pouts and then glares at Sara again, who is still chuckling. “I fucking hate you,” she whispers through gritted teeth.

Jaal smiles as he sees how flustered Mic looks, but quickly grabs his siblings’ attention, to save her from their questions. They will have enough time to question her later.

Sara, in the meantime, leans over to Mic and gives her a quick hug. Mic winces at the touch and Sara lets go quickly, staring worriedly at her friend.

Mic shakes her head and pats Sara’s arm. “It’s nothing. Just a little sore from the exercise,” She lies.

Sara realises that she is lying, but lets it be as they make the rest of the trip in silence.

* * *

The shuttle lands at the compound without any incident and Jaal’s siblings climb out of the shuttle first.

Teviint takes Lathoul’s hand in hers as she apologizes, “I’m so sorry, Lathoul. I never -”

“Couldn’t even kill me at short range,” Lathoul laughs as their mothers rush towards them.

Jaal smiles as he climbs out of the shuttle, Mic and Sara right behind him. Jaal’s mothers embrace his siblings and there’s a flurry of other people gathering and the group grows. Jaal guides Mic and Sara to the side of the landing pad. He turns to them, a smile on his face.

He takes Sara’s hand in his, “Thank you for trusting me, Sara. Killing Akksul would have made the Roekaar stronger.”

Mic stares at the two of them, not sure what they’re talking about. Jaal turns to her and smiles brighter. He lets go of Sara and hugs Mic, “And thank you for coming with me, Miraen. You have helped greatly.”

Mic carefully wraps her arms around Jaal, surprised to find that her hands are shaking. Jaal can feel her hesitating and looks to Sara for a moment. She smiles and shows him two thumbs up. He starts to smile as well and pulls a bit away from Mic. She tries to get away from him, but he gently places his hand behind her head and pulls her head closer to him.

Mic loses herself for a moment in the embrace, the comforting and content waves washing over her and stopping her from pulling away. Her eyes close as she takes in his scent. Without thinking about it, Mic lifts her hand to trace around the new wound, feeling the warmth of his skin even through her gloves.

Jaal releases a small hum of contentment as Mic touches him and smiles. “It will heal. All scars do,” he whispers to her.

This pulls her out of her reverie and she pulls back, embarrassed that she let herself touch him like that.

Sara is beaming next to her though and this makes Mic glare at her. Jaal smiles though and then turns to Sara, his hand on Mic’s shoulder.

“I should get home with my family. It is going to be quite a reunion...” Jaal stares at his siblings for a moment and then back at Sara. “You will take care of things on the ship?” he asks her mysteriously.

“Yes. I’ll make sure everything is ready. I’ll get Liam to bring the box in a while,” Sara answers.

Mic frowns at Sara and then at Jaal, “What’s going on here?”

Jaal and Sara stare at her for a moment and then at each other, ”Don’t worry about it. We should get back on the ship. I have big plans for tonight.”

Mic’s eyes grow at this and then she leans closer to Jaal, “That sounds ominous.”

Jaal gives her shoulder a squeeze and she looks up to him, “Do not worry, Miraen. I will see you soon and ...”

“And we should really get going. See ya later, Jaal.”

Jaal chuckles as Sara grabs Mic by the arm and pulls her in the direction of the Tempest. Jaal and Mic do not look away from each other, however and Mic finds herself feeling sad that he won’t be close, but she shrugs it off and turns back to Sara.

_Stop it. The man only sees you as a friend and confidant. Keep it that way_ , she tells herself as they make their way back to the Tempest.


	23. Chapter 23

As Sara had promised Jaal, she had sent Liam back to the compound with a large box and ushered Mic into her room. There she ordered Mic to take a shower while she had to ‘take care of something’. Mic looked annoyed at her friend, but she did feel the need to jump under the hot water.

Taking off her armour was harder than she had anticipated though, since her blood had stuck to her shirt and her leg hurt like hell. Her arm and ribs also complained at any movement. But she got the armour off with little pain and then cleaned herself off. She dressed in her pajamas and then went to Sara’s room. Sara had jumped into the shower as she got out, so they both made it to her room at the same time.

Mic dropped onto the couch as Sara started to get dressed.

“I’m not so oblivious to not notice that you and Jaal are sharing something. Spill,” Mic sighs.

Sara freezes as she is putting on her hoodie, then, after a moment, she continues, sighing loudly. When she’s done, she drops down right next to Mic and turns to her with a smirk.

“Believe me, it’s a good thing. You’re hopeless without me.”

Mic glares at her friend, but then starts to chuckle with Sara, “Fuck you.” She’s quiet for a moment then notices her vodka bottle still on the table. She reaches for it as she says, “Now, I’m probably going to regret this, but I recall you saying something about having plans?”

Sara jumps up and exclaims, “That’s right. We’re going to have a girls night!”

Mic groans and then, as if on cue, Sara’s doors open and all of the women of the Tempest come piling into the room.

_FUCK!_

“Yay! Girls night!” Peebee shouts as she jumps onto the bed.

Vetra and Suvi laugh as they come in and behind them, Cora and Lexi shuffle into the room as well. Sara turns to her friends and grabs the box of drinks from Vetra, placing it on the desk. Mic smiles as she sees the alcohol, but then Lexi appears in front of her, looking like she’s going to scold her.

“You went out without my permission,” is all she says. Mic purses her lips. “That was stupid. I expect to see you later for a physical.”

Mic pulls a face, “Oh goody.”

“Oh, finally. Someone else is in the doghouse,” Peebee exclaims as she sits cross-legged on the bed.

Mic chuckles as Lexi sits down next to her and accepts the drink that Suvi offers. In the background, she can hear music playing and Mic stands up to sway to the rhythm of the music along with Peebee and Vetra for a little, while Lexi shakes her head disapprovingly. Her leg screams every now and again at her to stop, but she just shakes her head and takes another sip of her drink. She doesn’t want to ruin anyone’s night by complaining and she knows it isn’t too serious.

Lexi does notice her slight discomfort and points accusingly at Mic once during her dancing. Mic put on an innocent look, pretending like she didn’t see anything. Lexi shakes her head, knowing that Mic is hiding something and is probably in pain. But she won’t ruin her fun now.

* * *

After a few hours of light drinking (very light thanks to Lexi), they all gather around in the middle of Sara’s room for her to make a toast.

“To us! The women keeping the Nexus afloat!” They all cheer and take sips from their glasses.

Lexi smiles shyly and takes a big gulp from her glass, to which Mic and Peebee cheer even harder.

It takes them a moment to die down and then they take their seats on the couch and the bed. Sara’s omni tool lights up though and she moves to her desk. No one really pays attention to her or notices her answering a call from Jaal.

“Just calling to make sure everything is going according to plan,” Jaal says as Peebee takes her glass and then begins, “Okay, what do you guys think was the funniest thing that happened to any of the crew since we got here?”

“Suvi doing the lick test!” Mic shouts before anyone can say anything else.

Sara turns the camera towards the girls and Mic being thrown with a pillow. She giggles as Suvi shouts, “Don’t tell me you’ve never done anything like that?!”

“Of course I did. As a kid! Not recently, you idiot.”

“You also did the lick test as a kid? Is this some kind of human thing?” Vetra asks.

“Definitely not,” Cora offers from behind them.

“It’s not … Not really. I didn’t exactly do the lick test, but I did make some mean mudcakes.”

Everyone stares at her and she giggles.

“I think she’s having fun,” Sara whispers to the monitor and she sees Jaal’s smile grow. There is a commotion at the other end and soon Sara sees a few angara in the screen as Vetra, Peebee and Lexi demand Mic explain herself.

“A mudcake is something kids make on Earth. You take some mud, put it on a flat surface and let it bake in the sun and then when it’s dry, you dish it up.”

“Please don’t tell me you actually ate them?” Lexi asks. Mic gives her a mischievous grin and she groans, “Why didn’t your parents stop you?”

Mic shrugs and then simply says, “They might have only found out after I ate most of them.” A bout of laughter erupts through the room and Mic takes another sip from her drink.

“I can see that,” Jaal says to Sara. “I will leave you to it then. See you tomorrow.”

“See you, Jaal. And Jaal’s family,” Sara says with a little wave and ends the call.

* * *

The rest of the late afternoon is spent with laughter and dancing, but too early, Lexi chases everyone to bed. Mic is kind of glad, since she was starting to feel a little dizzy from mixing alcohol and painkillers and she needed the sleep.

Jaal’s family buries him under questions regarding Mic, especially since they saw the call he made to Sara and he tries his best to answer most of them, but he keeps trying to reassure them that they can ask her everything they wish when she visits them the next day. After repeating himself a few times, they accept his answer and he can go to bed as well, feeling the excitement of knowing that Mic will be in his house in less than a day.

He and Sara had made plans for Mic to visit him after they got his family back. Of course, Sara would be coming as well, to help Jaal get some alone time with Mic and also to help Mic when his family’s questioning began.

He fell asleep, hoping that his taasharay would accept him.

* * *

Mic woke up to Sara shaking her awake with a, “Wake up, Sunshine. Lexi demanded I get you to her before we set out on our trip.”

Mic stared at her with drowsy eyes, barely able to comprehend what she was saying.

“Whhhaaaat?”

“Get up and get to the medbay so that Lexi can get off my back,” Sara said as she picked Mic up and practically dragged her to the medbay.

Everyone else was in the kitchen, busy with breakfast, so Sara joined them as soon as she dumped Mic on one of the cots in the medbay. Lexi was already waiting for them and smiled at Sara as she dashed out of the room.

“Good morning, Mic. I see I was right when I warned you not to drink.” Mic groaned, her eyes still closed and didn’t do anything else. “Well then, let’s begin.”

Lexi opened her scanner and observed everything that appeared on the display. She shook her head disapprovingly and then switched it off when she was done.

“Why didn’t you say that you were in extreme pain?” Mic shrugs her shoulders noncommittally. “Mic...”

Mic takes a deep breath and opens her eyes, “It didn’t seem important at the time.”

“You fractured your ribs and leg, your scar opened up and you didn’t think it was important to mention?” Mic shrugged again. “Mic… This isn’t healthy. You should take better care of yourself.” Mic looks away guiltily. “Why didn’t you come to me sooner?”

Mic takes a breath, “Sara was so excited to have a little fun. I didn’t want to ruin it… And besides, I did clean the wound and got a few painkillers in. I was fine.”

“Your friends’ fun shouldn’t take priority over your health… And you shouldn’t have put yourself in danger in the first place. I know you wanted to help Jaal, but he would be devastated if he knew that you risked your well being for him. You care deeply for your friends and would do anything for them, but you should also let them help you… Don’t shy away from asking for some affection from them.”

Mic pouts, but then sighs and nods her head in acknowledgement.

“Good, now I’m going to give you something to keep you up for today, since I won’t be able to convince the Pathfinder or Jaal to let you rest,” she says the last part almost as a sidenote and Mic stares at her. “And you deserve a fun day of your own… Now, let’s get a new bandage on your wound, since you neglected to ask for one yesterday.” She gives Mic a disapproving look, to which Mic replies with another shrug.

Lexi helps Mic get out of her shirt to patch the tear in her wound. It doesn’t take long and soon she has a new bandage around her stomach and her clothes back on.

“Now, go have fun and Mic...” Mic looks up to stare at Lexi, hearing the concern in her voice, “Don’t be shy with your feelings today.”

Mic frowns and is about to ask Lexi what she means, when Sara bursts into the room and drags her out to the bathroom. Sara practically forces her under the water and is right outside when she gets out, dragging her to her room and forces her to sit on the couch and makes her way to the closet.

“Let’s get you something nice to wear,” Sara mumbles to herself as Mic sits on the couch, entirely dumbfounded at what is happening to her. Sara comes rushing towards her with a silver and white dress in one hand and a black dress in the other.

She smiles expectantly at Mic, to which Mic just shakes her head, “I always choose black, but what is with this?”

Sara looks at the dress and nods her head in approval, before racing back to her closet and saying, “We’re going on a trip and you should look great.”

“Where to? And why?”

“So many questions...”

“Well, I am a cynic, questioning everything is in the job description, now answer me woman,” Mic says as she turns to look at Sara.

Sara smiles brightly, “We’re going to meet Jaal’s family.”

Mic’s eyes grow as she stares at Sara and slowly shakes her head, “Why?”

“They want to meet you.”

“Why?” Mic asks suspiciously.

Sara gives her a knowing smile, “They just want to.”

Mic throws her hands in the air in annoyance and then glares at Sara again. Sara is unaffected however as she throws the black dress towards Mic.

“Put it on. We’re doing hair and makeup after this.”

Mic stares at the dress for a second and then glares at Sara again, “There is no way in hell that I’m going to wear this uncomfortable little piece, that shows way too much skin, to meet Jaal’s family. I’ll wear my usual outfit,” she says as she throws the dress back at Sara.

Sara looks annoyed at her as she catches the dress, “Oh, come on! I want you to look nice today. You’ll definitely catch Jaal’s eye in this.” She offers the dress up.

Mic shakes her head, “No. I’m fairly certain I won’t and besides, if I’m going to meet his family, I’m already going to be uncomfortable. Please don’t put me in an outfit that will make my anxiety ten times worse.”

Sara drops the dress in defeat, looking pissed at Mic. She shakes her head and then throws the dress in her closet, crosses her arms and then turns to Mic, “So, what are you going to wear?” She asks with a definite bite in her voice.

Mic feels bad for rejecting her friend’s offer, but she hates showing any skin and she doesn’t do well in dresses. So she stands up and walks to Sara, putting her hands on her shoulders.

“I’m sorry I annoyed you, but you’re also annoying me by not telling me jack shit about what is going on. So, technically speaking, we’re even. Now, come with me. I think I have a good idea of what to wear,” she says as she grabs Sara’s hand and pulls her towards her locker.

She rummages through it and takes out a black skinny jean with a cute grey, off-shoulder jersey.

Sara stares at the outfit for a while and then nods approvingly, saying, “I know the perfect hairdo and makeup to go with that.”

“Awesome,” Mic says as she grabs a white tank top, black pumps and a cute scarf and races after Sara to her room. She dresses in the corner, while Sara takes out her makeup and hairdryer.

When she’s done, Mic falls into the chair at the desk and lets Sara quietly work on her hair and makeup.

“You still mad at me?” Mic asks after a while.

“Not mad, just annoyed. You would’ve looked great in that dress.”

Mic smiles, “Maybe, but I-”

“Yeah, yeah I know. You’d be uncomfortable… Just promise me you’ll wear something like it one day?”

“Sure. At the victory party.”

Sara chuckles behind her and Mic joins in soon.

They are quiet during the rest of the process and when Sara is done, she smiles brightly at Mic, to which Mic groans.

“You better not have overdone it.”

“I didn’t. You’d be bitching about it the whole day and I can’t have that. I have enough other people bitching in my life.”

Mic smiles smugly, ”I’ll have you know, that I’m a great bitch. I will find something else to bitch about.”

This time it’s Sara’s turn to groan and roll her eyes as she shoves the mirror in Mic’s hand. Mic lifts it, eyeing Sara suspiciously, but she smiles gratefully as she sees herself in the mirror. Sara had arranged her hair in a loose braid that draped over her shoulder and very minimalistic make-up. 

“Not only are you an excellent Pathfinder, but you are a top notch beautician.” Mic looks at Sara with a sincere smile, “What did we do to deserve you?”

Sara blushes a little at that and looks away, before she slaps Mic on the arm, “Suck up.”

Mic chuckles, “I have to suck up to you, otherwise you might realise that having me on the Tempest is pointless and dump me on the Nexus. I like my cushy job exploring the cluster.”

Sara smiles mischievously and wiggles her eyebrows as she says, “You just want to be here, because you want to hit that angaran ass.”

Mic’s face falls in shock and then she starts to giggle with Sara as a deep blush spreads all over her chest and face. Sara laughs loudly at this and gives Mic an affectionate hug.

“You bitch,” Mic wheezes and Sara laughs even louder.

“Oh come on, you know it’s true,” Sara says as she pulls Mic away to look down at her.

Mic stammers and shakes her head to deny it, but one look from Sara makes her drop her head and nod slightly.

“You are hopeless!” Sara exclaims as she holds Mic closer to her once again.

Mic can’t breathe as the blush deepens and she pushes Sara away, with little success. They continue to giggle for a while longer, before Sara lets her go and they smile at each other.

“I hate you,” Mic says softly, with a little smile. Sara returns it and nods her head.

“The feeling’s mutual, bitch.”

They smile again and then Mic points at Sara’s clothes, “Are you going in that?”

“Yeah,” Sara says proudly, posing in her jeans and hoodie.

Mic glares at her, but Sara only replies with a smug grin.

“You little shit. You wanted to dress me up and you were going to go in a hoodie and jeans?” Sara chuckles and Mic shakes her head. “You’re the worst.”

“Yes I am,” Sara says proudly.

“Ryder, you should finish up. Jaal has sent you a message letting you know that he was on his way,” SAM announces from the desk and Mic and Sara turn to look at him.

“Right. Thanks, SAM,” Sara says and she moves to her closet, taking out a pair of pumps.

Mic also stands up and moves to look out of the windows of the room, staring at Havarl in all of its splendor as Sara does her own make up and hair. Sara moves to stand next to her when she is done, which Mic barely notices and they both stare at the magnificent forest.

“It looks great,” Sara says with a happy sigh.

“That it most definitely does,” Mic agrees and they smile at each other.

“We should get going. We wouldn’t want to be late.”

Mic stares at Sara as she rushes towards the door and shakes her head before following her friend.

“Why not? We joining them for dinner?”

“Yeah we are,” Sara smiles as they walk out of the room.

* * *

Before they leave, however, they pack an overnight bag and Mic goes back to the medbay to grab a few extra painkillers and bandages. She didn’t tell Sara about her injuries, so she also hid her meds underneath a jacket. She just hoped that she would be allowed some time alone to drink the painkillers and replace her bandage before she went to bed.

They make it to the landing pad at the compound in almost record time, Sara urging Mic on as Mic tries to get out of the entire situation, suddenly feeling very self conscious. Sara gives her reassuring smiles all the way so that by the time they reach the landing pad, Mic feels a little less worried.

Vela arrives moments after they did and starts talking to them for a while, while they wait for the shuttle.

After a few minutes, and Vela and Mic telling each other about their current projects, which confuses Sara, a shuttle lands behind them. Mic tries her best to ignore the shuttle, concentrating on what Vela is saying, while Sara rushes towards it. The doors open and Jaal and Lathoul step out, Sara beaming in front of Jaal and practically pulling him towards Mic and Vela. 

“I should get going, Mic. I have a lot of work to do. Have fun,” Vela rambles as she turns around and rushes away, just as Mic was about to ask her something about her project. She stares at the angaran disappearing into the compound as Sara stops next to her with Jaal in tow.

Mic slowly turns to Sara, looking very confused and not noticing Jaal yet, “Well that was kind of rude. We were in the middle of -”

“Hello, Miraen,” Jaal says behind her and Mic freezes on the spot.

She slowly turns around to look at Jaal, pouting and looking a little scared, “Uh… Hi… Sorry, I didn’t hear you.”

Jaal smiles as he takes a step forward and pulls Mic closer to him. She sort of reluctantly lets him and feels a little bit of the tension in her subside as his bioelectricity engulfs her. She wraps her arms around him and for a moment, she allows herself to enjoy the hug to the fullest, before letting go. Jaal slowly releases her and then Lathoul cuts in with a smile.

“Hello, Miraen. It is good to see you again,” he says with a smile.

Mic and Sara stare at him, both looking a little dumbfounded. Jaal and Lathoul see this and turn to each other, neither of them knowing what’s wrong.

“What is it? Did I say something wrong? Is it rude for me to call you on your first name, Miraen?” Lathoul asks.

“No… It isn’t,” Mic says softly, still frowning and looking unsettled. She turns to Sara and says, “It’s not just me that finds that weird, is it?”

Sara shakes her head. Jaal and Lathoul continue to stare at them, while Mic chuckles awkwardly and shakes her head.

“Nobody but Jaal calls her ‘Miraen’,” Sara informs Lathoul and he looks at Jaal.

“Everyone calls her Mic,” Jaal says to his brother and Lathoul seems to understand.

“I’m sorry, Mic. I did not know,” Lathoul apologizes as he takes her hand in his.

Mic looks up at him with a smile and chuckles as she says, “It’s okay. You can call me Miraen if you want to. It was just a little strange to hear it.”

Lathoul smiles as he pulls Mic closer and wraps his arms around her. Mic squeaks at the sudden hug, before she slowly hugs him back. Lathoul pulls back after a moment, still smiling brightly and then gestures towards the shuttle. Sara immediately follows him, leaving Jaal and Mic to stare at each other for a moment.

Jaal walks towards her and offers his hand. Mic stares at it for a moment, before she just shrugs and takes his hand. The familiar electric current flows through her and she starts to smile involuntarily. She can feel Jaal’s excitement and happiness and she wonders what he’s so happy about. Looking up at him, she sees a bright smile plastered on his face and then he pulls her towards the shuttle. He gently helps her in and then sits down right next to her. Lathoul is on her other side, Sara talking in hushed tones with him. Mic tries to eavesdrop, but Jaal grabs her hand again and she turns to look at him.

“I’m so happy that you will finally meet my family. They are very excited,” he beams next to her.

She gives him a shy smile and says, “I hope you warned them that I’m not exactly the warmest person.”

He chuckles and gives her hand a reassuring squeeze, his bioelectricity conveying the same message, “They do not care. They are already fond of you.”

Mic’s eyebrows shoot up as she turns to him and mutters, “Then maybe I shouldn’t meet them.” Jaal stares confused at her. “Wouldn’t want to break the illusion.”

He chuckles and shakes his head, “Lathoul gave a more … honest image of you. They still think you’re fantastic.”

Mic frowns at him, wondering how they could like her if they don’t even know her, but then the shuttle’s engines start and she is distracted by the pilot, who calls back to Jaal and Lathoul.

“They’re the only people we’re taking home?”

“Yes. Jaal invited the others, but they didn’t want to come,” Lathoul replies.

The pilot nods his head and returns to the controls. Mic turns to Jaal with a lifted eyebrow.

“Is he family of yours?”

Jaal smiles, “Yes. He’s my cousin.”

“I keep forgetting how big your family is.”

Jaal chuckles, as a strange current flows into Mic, one she struggles to identify.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late update, I didn't have access to internet and things get pretty busy during the holidays. Anyway, here is a new chapter and I'm going to add another right after this one so yay! Hope you enjoy :)


	24. Chapter 24

The shuttle ride to Jaal’s home is over quicker than Mic would have liked and she gulps as the shuttle lands outside of a rather large compound. Jaal rushes out of his seat, opens the shuttle door and then waits for Mic to get out of the shuttle as well, the biggest smile on his face. She tries to return it, but falls short as she stares at the house. She stands transfixed at the entrance of the shuttle, Jaal holding his hand out for her to take. Her gaze stays on the building for quite some time, until Sara nudges her from behind and she is released from her daze. She takes Jaal’s hand and he helps her out, pulling her towards him. Her heart flutters as Jaal wraps his arm around her shoulder and guides her towards the building.

Outside are a number of children playing and they stop momentarily to stare at Mic and Sara. Mic gives them a small wave and they immediately rush away, giggling and shouting things at their siblings and mothers. She frowns momentarily at their slightly strange behaviour, before she focuses on the other angara standing outside to greet them.

A striking angaran woman comes rushing forward, her arms outstretched as she shouts, “Jaal! Jaal!”

Jaal lets go of Mic and opens his arms wide to embrace the woman. Sara leans over to Mic and nudges her slightly to get her attention. Mic turns to her, still looking at Jaal.

“I know you hate touching people you don’t know, but I think you should make an exception with Jaal’s family. Just this once.”

“Noted,” Mic replies, before looking up at the angaran woman as she walks over to them.

“So, Jaal. Which one-”

“This is the Pathfinder, Sara Ryder,” Jaal interrupts the woman.

The woman slaps Jaal playfully on the arm and he joins her in a strange chuckle that Mic finds very mysterious. She frowns slightly as Sara steps forward. Mic sees Sara smile as well, as if she is in on the joke and she doesn’t like it, feeling left out. From behind them, she can hear Lathoul snickering.

“This is my true mother. Sahuna Ama Darav,” Jaal says.

Sara steps forward and gives Sahuna a warm hug. Sahuna smiles as she returns the hug.

“It’s nice to meet you,” Sara says as she steps back, giving Mic a knowing glance.

“And this, mother ... is Miraen,” Jaal says with a happy sigh.

Mic smiles brightly as she also steps forward, her arms open in a gesture to hug Sahuna. Sahuna’s smile grows as she sees this and pulls Mic into the hug, laughing as she does so and squeezing Mic tightly. Mic’s eyes grow with the pressure, the pain causing her to stop breathing as she bites back the urge to scream in pain. But she fails and a small whimper erupts from her throat. Sahuna pulls back immediately and Mic finally breathes as she places a hand on her ribs. She still smiles though, although it is a pained one.

“What is wrong, child? Did I hurt you?” Sahuna asks worriedly. Jaal also puts a hand on Mic’s shoulder, his face falling when he heard the whimper.

“No, no, no. It’s nothing. It’s an honour to meet you and thank you for having us,” Mic says politely, but Sahuna and Jaal still stare at her in worry. Sara also puts a worried hand on Mic’s shoulder.

“That didn’t sound like nothing… Mic … Are you hurt?” Sara asks as she turns Mic around to look at her.

Mic’s eyes grow and tries to convey to Sara to stop asking, but Sara’s gaze is unfaltering. Mic sighs in defeat.

“Just a fractured rib or two. Nothing to be worried about,” Mic mutters as she tries to take a step back, scratching her neck nervously.

Jaal is right behind her though and she bumps into him. Sara doesn’t look away as she stares at Mic with a suspicious look.

“Knowing you, there’s more you’re not saying,” Sara says.

“Jaal! How did you not know she was injured?” Sahuna admonishes Jaal. 

Jaal turns to his mother and says, “She didn’t tell us. I didn’t know.”

Sahuna shakes her head at Jaal as she grabs Mic’s hand, pulls her closer to her and wraps a protective arm around Mic’s shoulders. Mic looks up at the woman, wondering what is going on.

“Come, child. We’ll take care of you, since those two clearly don’t know how to,” Sahuna says, glaring at Jaal and Sara with her last words. Mic turns to look at them, before Sahuna grabs her attention again. “Now, tell me what is wrong, Miraen.”

Mic stammers a little as Sahuna guides her into the house. Sahuna stares intensely at her as she tries to evade the question, but then Mic gives in.

“I have three fractured ribs and a fractured right leg. And my arm is also acting up,” Mic says as she lifts her left arm.

Sahuna inhales sharply as she shakes her head with motherly concern and squeezes Mic’s shoulders comfortingly. She sends her own healing currents through Mic and leads her down a number of hallways.

“Jaal said you were a strong and remarkable woman, but I didn’t know you were this remarkable.” Mic’s eyes grow in shock at Sahuna’s words. Sahuna chuckles slightly as she adds, “He admires you a lot.”

Mic chuckles with her, “Really?”

Sahuna beams next to her as she looks over her shoulder and winks at Jaal. Mic turns to look at him as well and sees that he, Sara and Lathoul are following them into the house. Jaal smiles shyly at her as Sara chuckles.

“Yes. He’s my favourite. Smart. Loyal. Kind. A great shot. Writes poetry. Sews-”

“Mother!” Jaal exclaims from behind them.

Mic and Sahuna chuckles at him, Mic putting a hand over her throbbing ribs. Sahuna notices this and frowns almost immediately, turning a corner and then opening a door. 

Upon entering the room, Mic immediately knows it’s a sick bay. Sahuna places her on a cot and rummages around in a drawer. Jaal and Sara stay in the doorway, Sara looking at Sahuna as Jaal stares worriedly at Mic. She gives him a reassuring smile and he groans slightly with a worried brow. Moments later he is standing right in front of her, holding her hands tightly and pressing his forehead to hers. She doesn’t move away from the gesture, relishing the feeling of him so close.

But then Sahuna interrupts as she chases Jaal away and he reluctantly lets her go. Sahuna lifts her shirt unceremoniously and Mic’s eyes grow in shock. Sara grabs Jaal and turns him around almost immediately, staring at the opposite wall. He tries to get out of her grip, but she just looks up at him and shakes her head. He then calms down as he hears his mother working on Mic.

Sahuna starts to take Mic’s bandage off, but she starts to protest.

“That’s really not necessary, ma’am. I have painkillers in my bag that will do the job just fine.”

Sahuna shakes her head as she continues with the bandage, “Under my roof, I will take care of you.”

Mic starts to protest again, but Sahuna silences her with one look and she reluctantly leans back to give Sahuna better access to her bandage. She makes quick work of the bandage, before placing a strange lotion on the area around Mic’s ribs. Mic can almost immediately feel the effect of the lotion on her body, as the area starts to feel numb and she can breath a little easier. Sahuna then replaces the bandage, before moving to Mic’s arm and leg.

Mic has to take her pants off to give Sahuna access to her leg and she is grateful that Sara turned Jaal away, but she can see Jaal trying to turn around every now and again. Sahuna places the lotion on her leg as well, rubbing gently in the small holes of the cask. When she’s done, Mic feels the numbing of her leg and smiles in wonder at her leg, before clothing herself again.

“That is magnificent. What is it?” Mic asks Sahuna.

Sahuna smiles, “It’s a family recipe. I’ll teach it to you later. For now, I’m going to introduce you to the rest of the family and they will take good care of you. Better than these two,” Sahuna sneers at Sara and Jaal.

Jaal turns around to look at his mother and prepares a protest, but one look from her silences him. Sahuna helps Mic off of the cot and then wraps her arm around her shoulder again. She leads her towards a set of doors. When the doors open, Mic is greeted by numerous angaran faces, all of them turning almost in unison to stare at them. She gulps at all of the staring faces, but Sahuna sends a reassuring current towards her.

“Everyone, this is Miraen!” Sahuna announces her.

The room is silent for only a moment, before a number of voices rise up to talk to Mic and greet her. Her eyes grow at the friendly greetings and she starts to smile in wonder at all of these people. Behind her, Jaal and Sara also enters.

“And this is the Pathfinder,” Jaal also announces, but almost no one notices.

Mic does and she turns to look at Sara. Sara walks to stand next to her and Mic asks, “How the hell did I become more popular than you?”

Sara just shrugs and then gestures to the people in front of Mic. She turns her attention back to the angarans and tries to remember all of the names that Sahuna mutters. Sara turns to Jaal in the meantime and the two of them disappear from the room. Mic doesn’t notice immediately, but when she does, she feels a slight panic settling in her stomach.

Sahuna notices her slight discomfort after a while and then leads Mic to a large couch. She places Mic in the middle, settles right next to her and then a number of the family takes their places around Mic. She looks around at them, trying to seem friendly, but she feels entirely lost in the group.

Sahuna turns to her, grabs her hand and then says, “Now, Miraen. Jaal tells me that you are very informative when it comes to humans. Would you mind if we asked you questions about your people?”

Mic smiles broadly at the question, knowing that that is one thing she would be able to do.

“Not at all. Please do and don’t hold back. I’m open to answer any and all questions.”

Sahuna smiles as she leans into Mic and asks, “Where did you grow up?”

“I grew up on Earth, the human homeworld, on one of the largest and wildest continents. My home was in the southernmost region of the continent and I grew up running around in grassfields and climbing hills and trees.”

There is a fascinated rumbling around Mic and she can feel the excited electricity in the air. Sahuna squeezes her hand slightly.

“Will you tell us more of your home?” One of the angarans ask.

Mic smiles, “Sure. Uhm… My home was… very sunny and warm and when you looked out of a window it would seem as if the landscape was covered in gold, with a bright blue sky and pure white clouds drifting overhead… The plants are a lot like those on Elaaden and Kadara Port actually reminds me a lot of the cities around my home. Africa was kind of always the more rural and dangerous part of Earth.” There is a collective muttering among the angarans. “But if you drove a few hours in any direction, the environment would change drastically, with forests and mountains popping up out of the ground. Some regions are a lot like Havarl, others tend to be more like Eos and then there is a small part of Africa that reminds me a lot of Aya.”

“All of that on one planet?” 

“More like one continent. Earth’s poles are exactly like Voeld and there are many regions all over the planet that look like one of the planets in Andromeda… Earth is crazy.”

A few angarans chuckle at her. Mic smiles, amazed at how comfortable she is with Jaal’s family and also how friendly they are. One of the women raises their hand and Mic looks at her, her own smile growing.

“Yes?”

“What do human feet look like?”

Mic chuckles at the question as Sahuna shouts, “I told you to ask strange questions later!”

“It’s fine. I understand the curiosity. I used to stare at the anatomy books for hours trying to figure out how other aliens’ feet worked.”

Mic bends forward, surprised not to feel anything around her ribs, and pulls off her shoes. The angarans all stare intently at her feet as she giggles slightly at their fascination.

“They are so small!” Sahuna exclaims right next to her.

Mic laughs as she wiggles her toes, to the great delight of everyone around her.

* * *

For a few hours, Mic continues to answer all of the questions that Jaal’s family has. Some of the questions are easy, like what her home was like, while others are a lot harder. One of the angarans wanted to know why humans had such different reactions to the same symbol or word. It took Mic a while to explain how different cultures worked. And then Sahuna wanted to know how the reproductive system worked and Mic spent a half an hour explaining that.

One of Jaal’s sisters asked about music and Mic was silent for a moment as she tried to think of how to explain the madness of human music. So, instead of explaining it, she asked Lathoul to help her to connect her omni tool with their sound system and she would play them the music that she had. Mic had a vast collection of music on her omni tool, so they had a pretty good idea of how different the music was. For the remainder of the questions, Mic’s music would play softly in the background, a few songs becoming the topic of discussion.

The time flew by and before she knew it, Sara and Jaal emerged from the door. She didn’t see them at first, so Sara and Jaal took the time to stare at Mic, who was the center of attention and seemed completely at ease to be in the spotlight. One of Jaal’s cousins was holding her hand, wiggling her fingers and bending her hand this way and then that way, while a few other siblings were playing with Mic’s hair, braiding it. Mic didn’t seem to notice at all.

Sara stood behind Mic as she told Jaal’s family about the Citadel, drawing her attention. Mic turned to look at Sara and smiled.

“Who are you and what did you do to Mic?” Sara asks her.

Mic laughs as the rest of Jaal’s family stares in confusion at the question.

“You know, contrary to popular belief, I actually do know how to talk to people,” Mic says with a smirk.

Sara chuckles as she shakes her head, “You had me fooled.”

“Where did you disappear to?” Mic asks, looking at Jaal, who smiled brightly at her.

“I helped Jaal with something. You seem to be enjoying yourself,” Sara smiled, putting her hand on Mic’s shoulder.

“I am. Being a know-it-all is something I’m good at.”

Sara rolls her eyes at that and sits down on the couch’s back, staying by Mic’s shoulder.

Mic continues to tell Jaal’s family all about the Citadel, Sara weighing in, as Jaal walked around and took his place right next to Mic.

She continues to tell them everything she knows about the Milky Way and it’s inhabitants, until Sahuna stands up and declares that it is time for dinner. Everyone cheers and Jaal pulls Mic up from the couch, draping his arm around her and guiding her towards the dining room. His cousins had braided her hair to look like it did when she entered, but it was haphazardly done and some strands were hanging idly on the most random of places.

Sara snickers at the sight, to which Mic turns to her with raised brows, “I bet you weren’t so good at braiding the first time you tried it. For people who have never seen hair before, I think they did a great job.”

“You still _look_ funny,” Sara mumbles.

Mic chuckles as she nods her head, “I fucking bet.”

They laugh as they make their way to the dining room, Jaal staying close to the two of them and smiling brightly.

When they enter the dining room, Mic’s eyes grow when she sees the size of the dinner table, but she has little time to take it all in as Jaal pulls her closer to the table. He shows her a seat at almost the head of the table, with him on her left and Sara on her right.

The rest of Jaal’s family takes their own seats, all of them smiling at Mic and Sara. Others carry in platters of food and places it on the table. Mic gapes at the food, her stomach growling slightly. Sara and Jaal laugh at her, before turning to the food. Some of Jaal’s family tries to take the food, but Sahuna shouts at them.

“Our guests will eat first!”

Everyone turns to Mic and Sara. They stare awkwardly back at the rest of the angarans, before Mic shrugs and turns to Sara.

“Well, we can’t keep the people waiting.”

They share a smile, before grabbing a few of the delicious looking dishes. The family cheers and grab their own food as well and before Mic knows it, all of the platters are empty and everyone starts eating.

Jaal smiles at Mic as he offers her one of the fruits she hadn’t taken and she refuses it.

“Miraen, you have to try this. It’s my favourite,” he says with a smile.

She smiles shyly as she nods her head and takes a little piece of the fruit and eats it. Her eyes light up when she tastes the juicy meat of the fruit.

“Wow. That’s amazing.”

“Have some more,” Jaal offers, but Mic shakes her head.

“I’ll get some at a later stage. It’s your favourite and I won’t take it from you.”

He gives her a small, grateful smile, before taking a big bite out of the fruit.

Mic turns to Sara for a moment, but before she can think of anything to say, she starts to giggle. Sara eyes her suspiciously, but Mic only points at her head. Sara doesn’t understand what she means, but then she sees Mic’s hair floating in the air and she starts to giggle as well, pointing at her head.

“What is so funny?” Sahuna asks from across Mic.

Mic turns to her and smiles, “Our hair is reacting to the electricity in the air.”

Everyone turns to stare at their heads and Mic starts to blush slightly at the attention. Many of the angarans point to their hair and laugh as well, before returning to their own plates again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, extra chapter as promised :) Have fun with it :)


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi...  
> I'm sorry this is a month late, but things were crazy over here. I went on holiday out of the country, had to register for classes and then had classes. And that's just half of it.  
> But here is the newest chapter. I feel like I'm falling behind on my writing, but don't think I won't finish this fic... It might just be a while...  
> Any way, enjoy ;)

After dinner, Jaal leads Sara and Mic to the balconies. He points at something for Sara and Lathoul grabs Mic by the arm. She turns to him with a smile, Jaal and Sara not noticing Lathoul.

“I know you’re injured, but some of the cousins want to invite you for some fun. Are you up for it?” Lathoul asks her.

“What would said fun entail?” she asks with a smirk.

His smile grows, “I’m not allowed to say much, but there will be swimming involved.”

Mic squeals slightly with joy and nods her head enthusiastically, “Yes! I love swimming!”

Jaal and Sara turns to look at Mic, her arms thrown in the air in excitement. Sara walks closer as Jaal moves to stand next to Mic.

“What’s going on?” Jaal asks.

Lathoul smiles, “Mic agreed to join us on a little … adventure.” He turns to Mic with a smile. “And you’re not allowed to say anything about it, Jaal. She wants to come, so she’s coming with us.”

Jaal lifts his hands in surrender, smiling at Mic. Lathoul grabs Mic’s arm and pulls her towards a door.

* * *

A few minutes later, and a pretty hurried walk into the forests, Lathoul finally comes to a stop and smiles brightly at Mic. Her smile is tight-lipped as she waits for the surprise.

“Don’t keep her in suspense, Lathoul,” one of the cousins exclaims and she turns to smile at them.

Lathoul laughs as he looks up at Jaal, who is standing right behind Mic with a slight smile. Mic also looks at Jaal and his smile immediately grows. She feels the slight fluttering in her stomach and turns away quickly as a blush creeps onto her cheeks. All of the cousins start to snicker as they see Mic’s shy smile.

“Behold, the best swimming spot on Havarl!” Lathoul announces as he moves a few branches out of the way and reveals … nothing that Mic can immediately see.

She takes a few steps forward and sees a drop with a small waterfall and at the bottom is a beautiful pond. There are numerous glowing plants along the edges of the pond, as well as a few luminescent leaves drifting on the surface. Mic smiles as she momentarily opens her omni-tool to take a picture of the pond and also to determine it’s depth.

“It’s marvelous,” Mic sighs.

“She likes it!” Lathoul shouts at the cousins and they all cheer.

Mic shakes her head at them as Sara walks forward and looks down at the water.

“That looks amazing.”

Jaal walks closer, smiling and then turns to Mic, “This is a favourite spot for my family. I spent many happy days here.”

“I can just imagine little Jaal splashing in the water,” Sara says with a chuckle.

Mic laughs as she takes her shoes off, the cousins circling around them and pushing each other closer.

“I dare you to go first,” one of them whispers to another and Jaal shakes his head at them.

“They’re always skittish to jump,” he informs them.

“Well… I’m always game for cliff diving,” Mic says with a sly smile.

“No… You’re not allowed to jump off of anything for at least a year,” Sara says next to Mic.

Mic turns to her with a mischievous smile and then rips her jersey and scarf off. She turns around and walks backward towards the edge of the cliff.

“Just try and stop me,” Mic proclaims, with a mischievous smile.

Jaal rushes forward, “No, Miraen!”

But he is too slow as Mic deftly pushes herself off of the edge and performs a back flip, before dropping into the water with a loud splash. Everyone rushes towards the edge, staring at the water as it remains silent.

“Mic!” Sara shouts in worry.

“Miraen!” Jaal adds.

The pond is silent and everyone holds their breaths as they wait for any sign of Mic. After quite some time, Mic emerges from the far side of the pond with a big smile and a loud laugh.

“The water is amazing!”

The cousins all cheer and jump off together to join Mic. She laughs as water splashes over her face and looks up at Sara and Jaal.

“Join us!” she begs them with a smile.

Jaal looks at Sara. “That woman is something else.” He turns to look at Mic, an affectionate smile growing on his lips, “I didn’t think I could love her more.”

Sara turns with big eyes towards Jaal, as he takes his rofjinn and shoes off and jumps. Her eyes follow him as he quickly makes his way over to Mic, splashing her with water and then placing himself right next to her on a rock. She smiles at the two of them, seeing Mic blush slightly as Jaal puts his hand on her shoulder to guide her away from a rowdy cousin.

No one mentions the scars that envelop her left arm and neck, but they do ask about the black markings in them. She tells them about tattoos and that the tattoos on her arm are the names of her friends, written in their native alphabet. The cousins grow quiet at this for a moment, then simply remark that it is beautiful. They don’t mention it again.

* * *

After an hour of splashing and playing around in the water, Lathoul proclaims that they will now be going home, since it is late and it is getting cold. They all get out of the water rather reluctantly and Mic groans at him. He playfully splashes her again and she exclaims in shock, before returning in kind.

Jaal laughs as he sees Mic and Lathoul battle against each other, to which Mic gives Lathoul a sly glance and they both turn on Jaal.

“Why would you attack me?” he asks innocently.

“For laughing at us,” Mic exclaims.

She laughs at him as he tries to defend himself against her and Lathoul, but she quickly stops and smiles fondly at him. Lathoul sees the two of them stare at each other and gets out of the water. Jaal moves closer to Mic and offers his hand. She takes it slowly and he pulls her out of the water, giving her her jersey and scarf and then wraps his rofjinn around her shoulders. She tries to protest, but he quickly stops her and drapes an arm around her shoulder.

She smiles shyly as he pulls her closer to him, her heart fluttering and a soothing electric current flowing through her. But she frowns after a while as she feels the pain building up around her ribs and leg again. Jaal doesn’t notice her frown or discomfort, since one of his cousins shouts excitedly as they are dragged back into the water. He smiles at them and when he returns to look at Mic again, she is chuckling at the two cousins who are now fighting in the water.

He pulls her back towards the compound, the rest following them, whispering and snickering behind them.

As they reach the house, Sahuna comes outside with a big smile, but her smile falters as she sees Mic’s hair dripping.

“You’re soaking! Why didn’t they stop you?” Sahuna asks her as she takes Mic’s face in her hands. “Jaal! You’re supposed to take care of her.”

“They couldn’t exactly stop me, ma’am. I’m a very stubborn woman,” Mic says with a smile.

Sahuna laughs as she guides them back inside, giving all of them towels to dry off. Mic takes hers gratefully and starts drying her hair.

“Miraen… “

“Yes, Jaal?” She asks as she bends her head to get a better hold of her hair, now hanging loosely after she untied the braid in the water to show the cousins how hair floats in water.

He looks around and luckily most of his family has seemed to disappear. He looks down at her again, smiling fondly.

“I was wondering if we could… talk. In private,” he asks as he fidgets with his towel.

Mic looks worriedly at him, but nods her head slightly, “Sure.”

He leads her down corridors towards a room. As the doors open, she assumes that it must be his and looks around in wonder at the fairy lights draping his walls, before her gaze falls to two boxes on the bed.

“This is my room. My … tiny sanctuary,” Jaal says with a nervous smile.

Mic smiles, “It’s cozy… I like the … fairy lights.” She points at the numerous little lights on the walls.

Jaal smiles genuinely as he sighs and moves to the bed. He notices the second box and frowns slightly, “Who put this here?” he asks as he picks up the smaller box.

Mic moves closer to look into the box, seeing papers and a skeleton of a kaerkyn.

“Are those … schematics? Of weapons?” Mic asks as she leans over the box.

Jaal looks up at her and smiles. He pats the spot beside him and Mic takes a breath before sitting down next to him. She feels the flutter in her chest as she leans closer to him, the tingling sensation of being so close to him grazing against her skin.

“Yes. My aunt stole a kett weapon for me when I was seven. So I took it apart. To learn,” he takes out the papers and smiles at them.

“And that’s...” She points to the skeleton.

“My pet kaerkyn. Alfit. He died. So I also took him apart.”

Mic chuckles as she leans closer to stare at the skeleton, “An insightful study, I presume?”

He smiles shyly as he closes the box and places it on the floor. Mic turns to the other box, attempting to open it. Jaal stops her, holding her hand and pulling her to look at him. She gazes up at him, confused for only a moment before she loses herself in his eyes.

“Miraen...” He murmurs fondly. “My taasharay...”

Mic frowns at that and pulls away from him a bit, still smiling slightly.

“Okay, at some point someone needs to tell me what that means. You’ve called me that, Vela’s called me that, Sara’s mentioned it and Lathoul asked me if I was. What does it mean?” she asks insistently.

Jaal takes a breath, squeezing her hands and looking away for a moment. He turns back to her with a smile.

“My people… We live many lives and we share each recurring life with only one other soul… We cherish it when it crosses our paths in this time … It’s a gift and a blessing to us… And I’ve been blessed… I found my other half…” He smiles brightly and looks directly at Mic.

_He’s found his … soul mate? Oh gods, and here I’ve been pining over a guy that’s already taken. I’m a really bad person…_

Mic looks away and smiles sadly.

“I’m happy for you. You must be so happy,” she murmurs.

“I am. So very happy.” He leans forward to press his forehead against hers, but she pulls back. He frowns at her as she takes her hand out of his.

“So… who’s the lucky alien?” she asks with a sad smile.

Jaal frowns even deeper as Mic pulls away, but he stops her, pulling her back towards him.

“Miraen… “ He shakes his head and smiles. “You are the smartest, most oblivious person I know...” He chuckles as he holds her head in his hands. “Miraen… _You_ make my heart sing. You are my taasharay. My soul mate.”

Mic is taken aback by his words, her eyes growing in shock. Her eyes start to flutter and she stops breathing for a moment. She cocks her head to the side and stare wide eyed at him.

“What?” she asks softly.

“Miraen… From our first touch, I’ve known that we were bonded… Across dark space you’ve traveled back to me and I …. I adore you.”

He gently holds her head close to him as he smiles hopefully. Miraen stares at him in wonder, her mouth opening and closing as a hundred thoughts fly through her mind.

She remembers every instance that they’ve been together, the lingering touches from Jaal, the strange bioelectricity that only  _he_ seems to emit. She looks away as she recalls how tender he was when she was hurt and how worried he looked a few hours ago when Sahuna was taking care of her. For a moment she looks away and then back up at his hopeful smile.

_Hold the fuck up… He likes me?…_ And _I’m his soul mate? Am I dreaming, because if I am, it’s a wonderful one..._

“Will … will you accept me, Miraen?” Jaal asks, a nervous lilt to his voice.

_Holy fuck, this is really happening! What do I do? What do I do? Shit! What’s protocol for an alien falling in love with you?_

Mic blushes as she brings her hand up to cover her mouth. She stares at Jaal as his face turns worried at her continued silence. His eyes are sincere as he studies her face for any sign. She slowly lets out a breath, the meaning behind his words sinking in.

_I’m his soul mate… And he likes me! Okay, now don’t fuck this up, Miraen. Tell the guy how you feel. Use your words_

“Miraen I know that-”

_Forget the fucking words!_

Mic quiets him as she leans forward and presses her lips against his. Jaal makes a sound of surprise, before he leans into the kiss, placing his hand on her neck and pulling her closer. Mic feels the tingling sensation grow until there is a hum surrounding the two of them. Her body vibrates in unison with his and she pulls away for a moment to breathe.

“Miraen… You accept me?” Jaal whispers, his head pressed against hers and his eyes still closed.

_How is he so cute? Don’t fuck this up. Say you accept him!_

Mic chuckles as she presses another kiss to his lips, “If you accept me.”

_Why the hell did I just kiss him again?_

He opens his eyes as a smile overtakes him. “Yes!” He shouts with glee, throwing his head back momentarily. Mic laughs with him, but her laughter is drowned out by Jaal passionately kissing her.

_Okay, this time it wasn’t me._

He wraps his arms around her, his lips not leaving hers for one moment, and she returns the gesture, her hands roaming over his shoulders. A slight moan escapes him as Mic pulls him closer. His own arms tighten around her, but she whimpers at the pressure and he immediately lets her go, staring wide eyed at her.

_No! Wait! Don’t stop!… What the fuck? Am I that desperate?_

“Miraen, I am so sorry.”

He holds her only a breath away, his hands on her shoulders. But she only smiles at him.

“It’s okay, Jaal.”

“It’s not, darling one. I should’ve noticed. I should’ve remembered that the lotion only lasts for so long. Forgive me for being selfish,” he says as he places a kiss on her forehead.

_Aww… He’s so sweet!_

She smiles brightly at him, placing a hand on his cheek, “Jaal, I’m ecstatic that you were selfish. I … didn’t think you cared for me like that.” She blushes slightly as she looks away for a moment.

“Darling one,” he places another kiss on her cheek, “I care deeply for you… And that’s why we should get you to the medbay immediately.”

He stands up and offers her his hand. She happily takes it, wrapping his rofjinn tighter around her shoulders. Jaal smiles as he leans to take something from the other box on his bed. Mic follows his hands and her eyes grow as Jaal produces another rofjinn from the box, one made of a grey material and the perfect size for Mic. He offers the rofjinn to her and she stares up at him.

“Is this…?”

“For you, my taasharay,” he answers with a smile.

She looks down at the rofjinn, stroking the soft material and smiling.

“This is so sweet, Jaal… I love it.”

She stares lovingly at the rofjinn as Jaal takes his own off of her shoulders and wraps the new one around her. Her smile grows as she bites her lower lip and Jaal can’t help himself as he bends down and kisses her gently. She leans into the kiss, standing on her toes to reach him and her hand resting on his chest as she steps closer to him.

They both lose themselves in the kiss, before Mic steps back and shakes her head slightly. Jaal looks worriedly at her as she presses her head against his chest.

_Holy shit…_

“How am I so lucky?” she mutters into his chest.

Jaal presses a kiss on her head as he whispers, “I am the lucky one, Miraen. You are a remarkable woman… And I really need to get you to the medbay.”

He puts his hand under her chin and lifts her face to look at him. She is smiling, tears in her eyes and lifts herself once more to kiss him quickly.

“Yeah, my ribs are getting a little tender.”

He chuckles as he puts his rofjinn on and opens the doors. His arm goes around Mic’s shoulder and he rushes her to the medbay. They don’t find anyone in the halls, which Mic finds strange, before a thought occurs to her.

Jaal ushers her into the medbay, getting her settled on the cot and then rummages through the drawers for the lotion. He brings the small pot towards her and then smiles unsurely at her. She smiles.

“Are you sure you’re comfortable with me doing this?” He asks her.

_Yes!_

She nods, a shy smile and a blush creeping onto her face. He smiles at her as he lifts her rofjinn and takes it off. Then he slowly lifts her shirt. Mic gasps when she feels his warm hand on her bare skin as he starts to untie the bandage. He takes his time, being as gentle as possible and after a few minutes, he places the bandage to the side. 

Mic watches his hands as he takes a bit of the lotion and brings it closer to her chest. She closes her eyes as Jaal massages the lotion into her skin. She can almost immediately feel the numbing sensation seeping into her chest and smiles gladly. 

Jaal’s bioelectricity engulfs her and she smiles as she recognises a sense of affection and focus from Jaal. He tries his best not to press too hard on her skin, staring with fascination at the slight discoloration on Mic’s chest. Then he looks up at her as she lets her head drop back, exposing her neck. He finds himself staring at the scars running down her neck and across her chest, his brow furrowing slightly and continuing with applying the lotion. He hates thinking about her being hurt, the scars a reminder of what she’s had to endure. Alone. He places his palm flat on her chest and focuses on sending her strong healing currents.

Mic opens her eyes as she feels the strange current, sitting upright immediately and placing her hand over Jaal’s. She inhales sharply and stares at him. He looks worriedly down at her, before she smiles.

“That kind of tickles...”

He laughs as he leans down and kisses her on the cheek.

“Apologies. I just wanted to send you some healing currents,” he says as he hands the pot over to her.

“It’s okay. I’m not that ticklish,” she says as she takes the pot, leaning back again so that Jaal can replace the bandage.

He smiles as he wraps the new bandage around her chest and abdomen, feeling his body tremble at touching her. After a few minutes, he’s done and helps Mic put the rofjinn back on. Then he turns around as she applies the lotion to her leg. When she’s done, she dresses herself again and softly calls to Jaal. He immediately turns around with a smile and helps her off of the cot.

_God, he’s such a fucking gentleman._

“If you’re up for it, my family is waiting for us,” Jaal says as he holds her hand tightly.

_FUCK!_

She frowns slightly as she looks up at him, “Jaal… would your family … I mean, I’m not exactly … I’m not angaran.”

Jaal looks down at her for a moment, before smiling, “No, you are most definitely not angaran. And my family doesn’t care. My mother already loves you. She’s very mad at me for not introducing you to her and the rest of the family sooner… You will be accepted, darling one.”

She smiles, but he can see the worry still in her eyes. “And Teviint?”

Jaal’s smile falters for a moment, before he wraps her in a hug.

“She will learn to accept you. Just give her time.”

Mic buries her face in his chest, taking a deep sniff of his rofjinn and relaxing in his arms.

_God, it’s nice to finally do this…_

They stay like this for a while, before Jaal pulls her back and smiles.

“Are you ready for my family to shower you in affection?”

She chuckles and shakes her head, “Oh, gods no. But for you I will endure it with a smile.”

“That is all I ask, darling one.”

_Aaahhh! That’s so sweet!_

Jaal leads her through the house by her hand, sending affectionate pulses to her and smiling non-stop. She feels the fluttering in her chest grow and her face starts to hurt from all of the smiling.

When they reach the living room, the doors open and Jaal’s entire family and Sara turn to look at them. The room falls silent as they wait for something. Mic leans into Jaal, unsure of what to do. He just smiles as he holds their hands up.

“My taasharay has accepted me!”

The entire room cheers and Mic recoils slightly at the sound. They are bombarded with congratulations from every corner and before Mic can recover from the cheers, she is surrounded by Jaal’s family. They form a group hug around her and Jaal. For the first time in her life, she doesn’t feel uncomfortable with the amount of people touching her, since she is mostly just staring at Jaal, reveling in being so close to him.

The hug lasts for a few seconds, before they let them go. Sara pushes herself towards Mic and squeals with joy when she is right in front of her. Mic’s eyes grow, before her smile returns and she pulls Sara into a hug.

“I’m so happy for you! Tell me everything!”

Mic glares at her friend, pouting as she says, “I ain’t telling you shit.”

Sara is taken aback by those words and she frowns as she asks, “Why the hell not?”

“’Cause you didn’t tell me shit. I was suffering. You’re a bad friend,” Mic says as she shakes Sara by the shoulders.

Everyone turns to look at her and she freezes for a moment, staring right back at them with a pout. Then she smiles and turns back to Sara, shaking her again for a moment. The family starts to chuckle at her as Jaal puts a hand on Mic’s shoulder.

“I’m sorry, but wasn’t this perfect?” Sara says with a sly smile.

Mic pouts again and then slowly smiles.

“Shut up.”

Jaal and Sara chuckle at her. Then Mic let’s go of Sara and asks her, “By the way, how the hell did you refrain from shooting me for being an oblivious fuck?”

Sara bursts out laughing and a few angarans stare strangely at them, some because of Sara, others because they heard Mic’s words.

“Oh, believe me. I was tempted a few times. But I have a feeling Jaal would have then whisked you away to his family and I would never have seen you again.”

The two of them laugh, shaking their heads. Sahuna comes up to Mic, grabbing her by the shoulders and then putting her hands on Mic’s cheeks and smiles proudly.

“I am so happy to have you in our family, Miraen! I hope Jaal will make you happy.” 

She hugs Mic tightly and an affectionate current flows through them. Mic feels the tears welling up and when Sahuna pulls her back, her eyes are watering.

“Oh, dear. Please tell me those are tears of joy?” Sahuna asks concerned.

Mic nods her head, feeling that her voice would betray her at this moment. Sahuna coos at her and then hugs her again.

After a few more affectionate hugs from everyone, especially Sahuna and Lathoul, who placed themselves at Mic and Jaal’s side, Sara finally drags Mic a little away from the rest. Jaal has taken all of the attention for the moment, smiling fondly at Mic as he sees Sara drag her away for a moment.

“So… You do realise what this means, right?” Sara asks her.

Mic frowns slightly and then nods her head, “Yeah.” She takes a deep breath, “It means Jaal and I are … together now… I hope.”

_This better not be a fucking dream…_

Sara chuckles as she shakes her head, “Not exactly that simple...” Mic gives her a questioning look. “This basically means you’re engaged...” Mic continues to stare at her. “As in, ‘practically married just gotta do the ceremony’.”

“Say what now?”Mic whispers as her eyes grow as she stares at Sara, the realisation hitting her. She looks to the ground, shocked and then back at Sara, who is chuckling. “Seriously?” Mic asks with a high-pitched voice.

“Yeah. This is what it means to be someone’s taasharay. You’re soul mates.”

_Woah! Woah! No, wait… This… Is it? … Shit … I’m not prepared for this…_

Mic takes a shallow breath, putting her hand over her chest, “I need air.”

She shoves Sara out of the way as she walks out of the room and onto the balcony overlooking Havarl. Leaning against the wall, she slowly slides down until she is sitting on the floor, trying to control her breathing.

Jaal turns to look at Mic again, but she seems to have disappeared. He sees Sara walking over to him, a determined look on her face.

“Hey, lucky guy. How’re you feeling?” she asks him as she pulls him a bit to the side of the room, closer to the door leading to the balconies.

“Where is Miraen?” Jaal asks worriedly.

Sara takes a breath before saying, “I told her the gravity of what all of this means and she went outside to get some air.” She takes another breath. “I think you should go talk to her. She could use some reassurance right now.”

She turns to look out of the window and Jaal follows her gaze. Then he turns to her, his expression more serious now. Without another word, he walks out of the door. He turns around, looking for Mic and finds her on the floor, her head in her hands. She’s staring at the floor and taking deep breaths. He drops in front of her and gently takes her hands away. She lets him and slowly looks up.

She looks extremely tired at that moment, but she manages a soft smile.

“Miraen, my darling. What is wrong?” Jaal asks her softly.

She shakes her head, but Jaal’s insistent stare makes her drop her gaze and bite her lip. Jaal takes her hand in his, giving it an encouraging squeeze.

_Can’t start this … whatever it is, by being dishonest._

“Sara… explained how serious this is and I was just … surprised for a moment. I’ll be fine.”

Jaal puts his other hand on her cheek and rubs it affectionately.

“What does our bond mean to you, Miraen?”

_Oh God, he’s so beautiful and sweet… Focus!_

She smiles and takes a deep breath.

“In human culture … this bond … means that we are … in a sense … engaged… And that … means that ...” She looks directly at Jaal, “That you’re stuck with me until death do us part.”

_Shit… would that scare him off? I fucked up, didn’t I?_

Jaal stares at her for a moment and then smiles with her.

“There is no one else I would rather be stuck with, my darling one.”

He leans forward and presses a kiss to Mic’s forehead. She smiles sadly as she closes her eyes and leans into the touch, relaxing a bit. Jaal sends a loving wave towards Mic and her breath catches in her throat as she is soothed by the feeling.

“But what does our bond mean to _you_?” Jaal asks again, tracing circles on her hand.

Mic looks up at him, staring into his eyes for quiet some time, frowning and opening and closing her mouth as she thinks about his question.

After a few minutes, she finally takes a breath and places a kiss on his hand, before saying, “It means that, from now on, we’re in this together. We learn and explore together what this bond means and we grow together… I should warn you that you should be patient with me… I’m not very good with… emotions.”

_Okay, first off, why did I kiss his hand? And second, why did I say that?! Can’t I be a little less honest for once in my life?_

Jaal smiles, “No, you are not, but that is one of the many things I adore about you.”

Mic looks up at him in confusion and shakes her head. The tears start rolling down her cheeks and she tries to wipe them away before Jaal can see, but he stops her, wiping the tears away himself.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t want to ruin this,” Mic mutters softly.

“You could not ruin this, Miraen… And if you want to take this slowly, I will understand.” He kisses her softly. “I want you to be happy.”

Mic smiles as she stares directly at him. She lifts her hand and places it on his cheek, careful not to touch his scar.

“You make me happy, Jaal… And thank you, for understanding.”


	26. Chapter 26

They had went back into the compound, hand-in-hand and Jaal showed her off to the rest of his family. Mic stayed glued to his side for the rest of the night and when it was time for bed, she and Jaal said good night to all of the family, before he guided her back to his room.

“I’ll sleep with Lathoul tonight, but you are welcome to my room,” he says as he stays at the door and Mic walks towards the bed.

She turns around, her eyes big and then looks down, biting her lip shyly.

_Don’t you fucking dare say anything! This would qualify as going too fast!_

“What?”

She shakes her head slightly, then blurts out, “Well… I just … Seeing as we are … together now … I thought that...”

_No! What did I just say? Where the fuck did this boldness come from and can it fuck off already?_

Jaal moves towards her, smiling slyly.

“You would be fine with sharing a bed with me?”

Mic smiled, “Yes… If you don’t mind.”

_Yeah, okay, fuck it. We’re in a relationship now, might as well enjoy it to the fullest until he realises how fucked I really am._

Jaal put a hand on her cheek and then turned to look at something on one of his cupboards. Then he turned back to Mic and kissed her on the forehead.

“I would like to show you something. Lie down,” he gestured towards the floor and Mic eyed it suspiciously.

But then she just smiled at him and turned to lie down on the floor. She got comfortable, grabbing one of Jaal’s pillows and lies back down as Jaal switches on a projector. The room becomes illuminated by constellations and Mic inhales sharply at the sight.

“Jaal… This is amazing,” Mic sighs with wonder.

Jaal lies down next to her, “I made this long ago. It’s not accurate, more of a dream really. Just one more thing to take apart and figure out.”

Mic turns to him with an amazed smile, but her eyes catch sight of one of the constellations and she stares at it. Jaal turns to look at it, but doesn’t understand what she’s looking at. He turns back to her, only to see her smile slightly.

“Jaal … I know that constellation. It’s Orion… I grew up staring at those stars… And over there is the Southern Cross,” she points to another cluster of stars. “And I think that’s Cassiopeia.”

Her smile grows as she watches the stars and shakes her head in amazement. Jaal also turns to look at the stars, smiling as he realises that the dreams he must have had as a child, was the memories of her own stars. He turns to look at Mic, who is smiling and leaning her head on his shoulder.

They stay on the floor for a long time, Jaal listening to Mic tell him stories of how she used to lie under the stars and read the stories of the constellations. She also tells him of some of the other constellations she’s seen, pointing them out to him in surprise when she sees them floating on the ceiling.

He smiles proudly at her as she sighs in wonder at the memories of her past.

“Jaal… This is … truly remarkable… Do you think … “ She stays silent, thinking to herself.

“I think … You shared these memories with me,” Jaal says softly to her.

She turns to him a little skeptically, “While in cryo?” He nods. “I don’t know, Jaal… You know, that reminds me. I’ve been thinking… I’ve been asleep for 600 years. If you only share your lives with one soul… and you believe in reincarnation… Then what about your other lives?”

He smiles sadly, turning to look at the stars, finding the constellations she’s mentioned, “My line has not had a taasharay for almost 600 years …”

He turns to look at Mic, who stares at him in wonder. She looks at his chest for a moment, then her brow furrows.

“So … for 600 years … You’re previous selves were … alone?”

He smiles sadly and nods.

_Shit! That’s horrible… And now he got me… Shit…_

“We were waiting for you, Miraen…” She looks away sadly. “And it was worth it.”

He kisses her gently on the forehead and she looks up at him.

“Really?” He smiles at her in acknowledgment. “You got a bad bargain, Jaal.”

She turns away from him for a moment, looking sadly. Jaal can feel her worry and self-doubt and he pulls her closer to him.

“Definitely not. My taasharay is a remarkable woman, who takes down kett, eirochs and terrorists. She’s one of the smartest people I know, she’s funny and very loyal. And she accepted me...”

Mic’s frown turns into a smile as she buries her face in his chest, groaning slightly with emotion at Jaal’s words.

“Oh, God, Jaal. You are too sweet,” she mutters in his rofjinn.

He lifts her head to look directly at her and smiles.

“I have something for you.”

She stares at him and shakes her head, “Jaal… You didn’t need to get me anything. The rofjinn was more than enough.”

“But I wanted to.”

He stands up, offers his hand to help her up and guides her towards the bed. She sits down on the edge, smiling unsurely at him. Jaal opens the other box and produce a number of gifts, handing each of them to her with a loving smile.

First he produces a knife from the box and Mic’s eyes grow in wonder at it. She takes the knife with reverence, tracing her fingers over a few of the intricate carvings. Her eyes dart to Jaal and he smiles.

“This is beautiful...”

“It’s a ceremonial dagger. I wouldn’t advise using it in battle.”

“I wouldn’t dare...”

He smiles at her wonder and then digs into the box again to bring out a smaller box. Mic places the dagger next to her before taking the smaller box. Upon opening it, she sees small sachets of leaves and when she brings it closer, she can smell that it’s tea and she smiles.

“Vela helped me procure some of the leaves from the plant she gave you.” Mic smiles gratefully at Jaal as she takes another whiff of the leaves.

They smell heavenly and she can just imagine how great they’re going to taste, but before she can continue to bask in their scent, Jaal brings out another gift. Mic wants to protest,but Jaal’s happy smile silences her and she diverts her attention to the bottle of lotion in his hands. She takes it, her hands brushing against his and her heart spikes again. She eyes it strangely, then looks at Jaal with a questioning brow. He sends out an encouraging current and she opens the bottle and smells its contents.

She smiles as she looks up at Jaal, “Vanilla… Where did you get this?”

“Vetra got it for me. I made the lotion myself.”

Tears form in her eyes as she puts the lotion, knife and tea to the side and wraps her arms around Jaal. She buries her face in his neck folds and moments later, Jaal can feel a wetness growing. Her shoulders start to shake and quietly she starts to cry. Jaal tightens his hold on her, burying his face in her hair. He keeps her close to him as she cries her heart out, comforting her softly and caressing her hair.

She pulls back after a few minutes, wiping her nose and turning away from him, tears still streaming. Jaal can see the tears still in her eyes and he lifts her chin so that she can look directly at him.

“What is wrong, darling one?” He asks her as he wipes away one of her tears.

She sniffles again, shaking her head and softly muttering, “I don’t deserve to be this happy...”

Jaal shakes his head and holds Mic’s head in his hands.

“You deserve this and more, my taasharay. For so long you’ve been alone… “ He presses a kiss to her forehead. “Let me be here for you.”

“Jaal...”

She shakes her head as she pulls away for a moment. Jaal’s hand stays on her cheek, but he doesn’t move closer, waiting for her to say something.

“I’m sorry…”

“Don’t apologize, Miraen. You’re not doing anything wrong,” Jaal says as he puts a bit of pressure on her cheek and smiles as she looks up at him. “I adore you and I am happy that you and I are together now. You make me happy and I want to make you happy.”

“You do...” She says as she leans a bit forward.

Jaal kisses her softly on the lips, “I am glad, darling one.” 

Mic smiles as she drapes her arms around him and hugs him tightly. He relishes the hug, sighing happily and burying his face in her hair. They stay like this for a while, before Jaal pulls Mic away from him. She looks up at him with big eyes.

“Are you all right?” he asks her.

She smiles and nods, “I’m fine… I’m just… overthinking this. I tend to do that a lot.”

“Overthinking?” Jaal asks quizzically.

_Honesty is important, say the shit._

Mic takes a deep breath and nods, “I’m questioning everything and seeing problems that aren’t there or are bigger than they really are.”

“So how can I help you?” He asks her.

She looks up at him in surprise and a smile forms on her lips. Mic shakes her head as she leans forward and rests her head on his shoulder.

“I just need to sleep on it and by tomorrow I’ll realise that it was nothing and I’ll be fine.”

Jaal rests his chin on her head as he says, “Are you sure, Miraen?”

She nods as she lifts her head. Placing a hand on his cheek, she smiles and he returns it, but he can see that she is still worried. So he pulls her closer and kisses her sweetly. Mic moans at the touch and melts in his arms. They stay like this for a while, before Jaal stands up and starts to move everything off of the bed.

Mic stands up to help him, but he stops her and places her back on the bed with a curt, “Sit still.”

She lifts her hands in surrender as he continues to tidy up around the bed. When he is done, he stands in front of her with a shy smile and pulls her up. She waits patiently as he lifts the blanket off the bed and gestures for her to get in. Mic practically jumps into the bed and makes herself comfortable, while Jaal climbs in behind her. He nestles his face in her shoulder and wraps his arms protectively around her.

“Sleep well, my taasharay,” he whispers to her as she closes her eyes and squeezes his hand.

* * *

Mic wakes up with a start, staring with wide eyes at the wall in front of her. In her mind’s eye, she can still see remnants of her dream. Sara lying in a pool of blood in front of her, a figure looming over her. In the background, her old friends stare at her with dark eyes, their mangled bodies scattered around the floor. Then the figure moves towards Jaal, who is on his knees, his face bloodied and scarred even more. The figure deftly drags a dagger across his throat and blood gushes out, raining on Mic’s face.

She licks her lips, but her mouth is dry. Her eyes close, trying to forget her dream. Jaal snores behind her and she starts to smile involuntarily. But after a while, her smile falters. It wasn’t the first time she’s had this dream … and she had a feeling it won’t be the last either. 

Her throat itches and she coughs slightly. Her mouth is still dry, so she sits upright, carefully, so as to not wake Jaal. Then she crawls out of the bed. Jaal is still fast asleep and she smiles as he continues to snore, before she opens the door and makes her way to the kitchen. There are a few people still awake in the compound, but she keeps to the shadows and avoids their gazes. When she reaches the kitchen, she throws herself a glass of water and drinks it leisurely, keeping her ears open for any sound of activity.

When she’s done, she strolls back through the compound, seeing Sara fast asleep in one of the rooms, smiling at her before continuing back to Jaal’s room. Before she can even touch the keypad to open the door, it opens and Jaal walks out, looking a little groggy. He turns to look down the one hallway and then the other, his eyes falling on Mic.

“Miraen… I woke up and you were gone… I was worried you left...”

Mic shakes her head and walks towards him, placing a hand on his arm, “I wouldn’t leave… I just went to get a glass of water.”

Jaal smiles as he places his own hand over hers, before folding his fingers around her hand and then pulling her inside. He leads her back to the bed and drags her down to sit next to him.

“Are you all right? You seem a little … distracted,” he asks as he squeezes her hand. A comforting wave of bioelectricity washes over her and her smile grows.

“I just … I had a bad dream, that’s all.”

Jaal looks worriedly at her, placing a hand on her chin to force her to look at him.

“What happened in the dream?”

Mic swallows, looking away for a moment, before taking a deep breath. “Sara and my old friends were lying on the floor. Dead. Then someone killed you...”

Jaal whimpers slightly as he pulls Mic closer to him. He strokes her hair as he whispers to her, “Sara and I are not dead. We are still here.”

“I know,” Mic says with jagged breath. 

They sit quietly in the room for a while. Jaal stroking her back as she rests her head on his shoulder and breathes him in. After a long time, she lifts her head again and sees his tired eyes. She yawns and shakes her head, before smiling at him.

“Let’s get some rest.”

“Are you sure, Miraen? I am here if you need to talk,” he says, worriedly rubbing circles on her shoulders.

She smiles as she says, “I know. And I’m fine. I just want to sleep now.”

Jaal nods his head and guides her back into the bed, wrapping his arms protectively around her again. She relishes the touch, digging herself deeper into the embrace. Jaal smiles as he feels her moving closer to him and places a kiss on her head. He stays awake until he hears her breathing calmly before allowing himself to fall asleep again.

* * *

The next morning, Mic wakes up first, feeling Jaal’s breath against her head. She looks up to see him still fast asleep and smiles. He looks at peace, smiling slightly. She keeps her eyes on his face, committing his features to memory. When he moves slightly, she turns to look at his chest, uncovered. She frowns a little at the sight, wondering when he had taken his shirt off, but then she starts to smile as she traces the bones on his chest with her fingers.

As she brushes his smooth skin, she starts to wonder what the hell she is doing in a bed with him. Did she really ask him to sleep with her? And he actually said yes?! Her eyes grow in shock as the events of the previous day play out in her mind and she takes shallow breaths. 

He actually asked her to be with him! And she agreed! They were together now!

She smiled shyly and closed her eyes as she pressed her head against him. Then her smile faltered and her eyes opened wide.

What now?

What were they going to do now? How are things going to be from now on?

Her mind raced as she started to play different scenarios out in her mind, ranging from how they were going to tell the rest of the crew to how she was going to have to show him that she cared for him.

She places both hands on his chest and sighs heavily, closing her eyes. To answer most of her questions, she’d have to actually talk to Jaal. And for that, she’d have to wait until they were on the Tempest. 

Jaal stirs again and she looks up to see him staring down at her. She smiles shyly as she pulls her hands away. His own smile grows and he leans towards her to kiss her on the nose. She chuckles at that.

“Did I wake you?” Mic asks.

He shakes his head. “How long have you been awake?”

“Not long.”

They continue to stare at each other, before Mic buries her face in his chest again. She takes a deep breath as Jaal starts to rub her back affectionately. From outside the room, they hear people announcing breakfast and a number of people rushing past.

“Are you hungry?” Jaal asks her.

Her stomach growls and she looks up at him with an embarrassed look. He laughs.

“I’ll take that as a yes,” he says as he places a kiss on her forehead and then gets off of the bed.

Mic sees his shirt lying on the floor and he picks it up and puts it back on. She stands up as well, still in the tank top and jeans she wore the previous night. She turns to her bag and takes out another pair of jeans and a black tank top. Jaal looks at her clothes and she stares back at him. They continue to stare at each other, before Mic clears her throat and looks at the clothes.

“Oh, you want me to leave. Sorry, Miraen,” Jaal says shyly and she chuckles at him.

He leaves the room, waiting outside for her. She doesn’t keep him waiting, tying her hair in a bun as she walks out. She’s wearing a jacket over the tank top to hide her scars and then gestures for Jaal to lead the way.

He smiles as he takes a hold of her hand and they walk together, but instead of going to the dining room, he leads her back to the medbay. Mic smiles at him as he reapplies the lotion to her chest and waits for her to apply it to her leg. 

Only when he is sure she is not in pain anymore, does he take her hand and lead her to the dining room. When they enter, the others greet them happily, Sara waving them over to their spots. They enjoy the breakfast, talking with the rest of the family and laughing at their jokes.

When they’re done, they go back to the living room and Jaal’s family asks Mic some more questions. Sara disappears for a while, gathering their bags as Mic entertains Jaal’s family. When Sara returns, she walks towards Mic.

“I’m sorry to cut this short, but I’m not really allowed time off and … the cluster still can’t do shit on it’s own apparently,” she whispers to Mic.

Mic smiles and nods as Sara walks away again. Then she turns to Jaal and conveys Sara’s message. He smiles sadly as he nods as well, then turns to his family.

“I’m afraid that we should be leaving again.”

“So soon?” One of the cousins asks.

“Unfortunately.”

The family cries out in distress, begging them to stay a little longer. Mic smiles as Jaal tries to get a word in to tell them they’ll be back, but he’s silenced as they continue to talk to Mic, asking her if she’ll come back to them.

“Sure. Where else am I going to get such great food?” she asks them and they laugh.

“Guys, we really should be going,” Sara says as she emerges behind Mic again.

Mic pouts a little and then nods. She stands up and Jaal and his family follows her. She greets all of the cousins around her, them tearing up a little. Then she greets the rest of the room in one go before leaving the room.

Sahuna joins them outside the room, leading them towards the shuttle.

“Miraen, I got you something,” Sahuna says as she holds up a bag.

Mic eyes the bag curiously, opening it to see some of the lotion inside. She gasps in wonder and looks up at Sahuna with a smile.

“Thank you,” Mic says as she pulls Sahuna closer and hugs her tightly.

Sahuna returns the gesture, smiling at Mic as she lets her go.

“Now, take care of yourself. And you,” she points accusingly at Jaal, “Take good care of my Miraen. I don’t want to see another scratch on this beautiful face when I see her again.” Jaal smiles and Mic blushes slightly. “Now, Miraen, I’m going to send you the recipe for the lotion and you have to send me a recipe for your favourite dish. And also one for pie. I’ve heard a lot about pie and would like to try it.”

Mic laughs as Sahuna guides her towards the shuttle. She gives her another tight hug, before letting her go. Then she turns to Jaal and holds hugs him even tighter. They whisper a few things to each other, before she kisses him on the cheek and shoves him towards Mic.

“Take care of each other and the Pathfinder,” Sahuna shouts at them as the shuttle’s engine starts.

“At least some one cares about me,” Sara says with a smile and hugs Sahuna before boarding the shuttle as well.

Mic, Jaal and Sara wave at Jaal’s family as the door to the shuttle closes and then Sara sighs as she drops into one of the seats. Jaal leads Mic to one of the other seats as well and takes place right next to her. They strap in and then take a hold of each other’s hands, smiling giddily at each other. 


	27. Chapter 27

The rest of the trip back to the Tempest was quiet, Jaal and Mic smiling at each other as Sara stared at the floor. Mic saw this and assumed that Sara must miss Reyes.

When they landed back at the facility, Vela was the first to greet them, immediately turning her attention to Mic. When she saw Mic and Jaal holding hands and smiling, she squealed and rushed towards them.

“I am so happy for you! Finally!” Mic laughed at her friend as she shook her head. “You are together now right?” Vela asked unsurely.

“Yes, we are,” Mic reassured her and she squealed with delight again.

“This is fantastic! I can’t wait to tell Efvra. He’s going to be so happy for you. Oh, but Mic, what will your family say?” Vela asked a little concerned.

They all fell silent as they looked at Vela. Mic hadn’t told her she didn’t have family anymore. Jaal opened his mouth to say something, but Mic turned to look at Sara.

“What did you say again when you found out?” she asked her.

Sara smiled as she hooked her arm into Mic’s, “Tell me everything!… And then you refused to tell me.” 

The two of them glared at each other, before smiling and chuckling together.

“I didn’t know you were family,” Vela said when their laughter had died down.

“Sara is the closest thing I have to family. I have no other family,” Mic said as she looked at Sara and they smiled at each other.

Vela’s face dropped as she realised what that meant, but she smiled soon after.

“Well, now you also have the Ama Darav’s. And I’m certain they are happy to have you.”

Mic’s eyes grew as she stared at Vela and then started to smile. She hadn’t exactly thought about it, but now she realised that that might actually be the case. 

Vela took her by the hand and walked with her back to the Tempest, asking her many questions about her and Jaal. Jaal followed close behind, carrying their bags as Sara was also talking to Vela, adding certain details that Mic left out.

Vela then greeted them at the ramp, but not before making Mic promise her that she’ll call later to tell her more. She hugged the angaran tightly before walking up the ramp and into the Tempest.

Inside the crew was waiting for them around the Nomad, whispering to each other. They didn’t notice Mic, Jaal and Sara enter yet so when Sara grabbed Liam and Gil by the shoulders they jumped slightly.

“What are we talking about?” Sara asked them.

“You’re back! How’d it go?” Peebee asked, jumping towards them.

Mic frowned at her as Jaal came to a stop right behind Mic.

“Oh, it went wonderfully,” Sara said as she turned to look at Mic and Jaal.

“Really?” Liam asked as he looked at Jaal.

Jaal smiled brightly and Mic turned to look at him, seeing the joy in his face. Then she looked back at the crew, before turning to Jaal and planting a kiss on his cheek.

The crew cheered as they saw this, but Jaal ignored them as he stared in wonder at Mic. He leaned over her, casting a shadow on her face.

“That was adorable,” he said to her.

Mic smiled, “Well, I had to make it really obvious.”

They chuckled as the crew then surrounded them, congratulating them. Peebee jumped in front of them and grabbed Mic by the shoulders.

“Finally! I thought I was going to have to actually start flirting with Jaal for you to make a move.”

Mic just shook her head as she stared at the asari, before laughing and turning to Drack. He smiled brightly at her and put a hand on her shoulder.

“Have fun, Baby Varren.”

Mic watched him leave and smiled, before Liam started asking her what an angaran home is like.

* * *

Mic thought they’d never get rid of the crew, but when they took off from Havarl, everyone surprisingly had better things to do. So she and Jaal walked towards the tech lab and when they entered, Mic stared in wonder at the small space. Things were definitely going to be different now. 

“Jaal...”

He looked up at her, his smile bright and she started to smile as well. She rushed towards him and hugged him tightly. He was surprised for a moment, but quickly wrapped his arms around her. Mic smiled and buried her face in his chest, giggling slightly.

Jaal pressed a kiss to her head, before asking, “What did you want to say, darling one?”

Mic felt the heat rising over her chest and face, shaking her head and then looked up at him with a smile. Then she lifted herself and kissed him softly. He smiled in the kiss as he bent down lower to deepen it. 

When she pulled away, she took a deep breath before opening her eyes and then touched his nose playfully. Jaal laughed at that and placed a kiss on her forehead, before saying, “I’m going to go shower. Be right back.” He squeezed her hand, then a mischievous smile spread over his face and he leaned closer to her to whisper, “Would you care to join me?”

Mic stared up at him, her eyes big and for a moment she could barely breath. Jaal smiled and started to chuckle. He wrapped an arm around her and kissed her forehead.

“I was just teasing you, darling one,” he let her go and turned around to go shower.

Mic stared at his back as he left, but he didn’t leave before winking at her and smiling at her growing blush. She stood there in the tech lab for a few minutes, entirely dumbstruck. , before racing out of the tech lab. She rushed towards Sara’s room, bursting through the door, her breathing shallow and her eyes as big as saucers.

Sara looks up at her friend, frowning at her disheveled look.

“What the fuck?”

“Sara… I’m lost… What the fuck am I doing?” Mic asks with big eyes.

Sara and Mic stare at each other for quite some time, Sara tapping her fingers on the desk, while Mic’s heart beats wildly and she breathes just as chaotically.

Sara turns to her screen and smiles at it, “I’ll be with you in a moment, Reyes. Mic needs me.”

“I’ll just be here,” comes Reyes’ voice from the screen.

Sara lifts her omni tool for a moment, typing away at it, before turning to her friend.

“What’s going on?” she asks calmly.

“Sara… How the fuck did I get here?”

Sara looks around awkwardly, “Uh… Probably down the ladder?” She asks unsurely.

Mic breathes out heavily in exasperation, before walking towards her friend and leans on her desk.

“Not what I meant… How the fuck did I end up in a relationship with Jaal? And more importantly, what the fuck do I do now?”

Sara stares into her friends panicked eyes and shakes her head, “Uh… You know, I’m not entirely sure… But...” The door opens again and Jaal steps in, his eyes immediately falling on Mic, who turns to look at him, her eyes even wider, “You should probably talk about it...”

Jaal walks towards Mic and takes a hold of her hand, bringing it to his lips. Mic lets him, shocked that he is there.

“Miraen… Come with me so that we can talk,” Jaal whispers to her.

Mic slowly nods her head, while Jaal drags her out of the room.

Sara chuckles at their retreating figures, seeing Mic throwing her an accusatory frown, before disappearing behind the door. She turns to Reyes and chuckles.

“I thought you said everything was fine?”

“I thought so, but apparently she’s still confused by it…”

Reyes chuckles.

* * *

Mic follows Jaal all the way to the tech lab, very conflicted about her feelings and about what to do. Jaal lets her go up the ladder first, smiling affectionately at her as she takes hold of the metal bars. Her heart beats erratically at his smile. She goes up, Jaal climbing straight after her, so that he places his hands at her feet every time. Mic feels a blush forming when she notices how close he is, but continues on and steps away from the ladder to wait for him. He’s still smiling and she can’t exactly understand why, because to her, he should be mad or at least annoyed. 

When he stands next to her, he holds his hand out for her to take. She stares at it for a moment, before slowly putting her hand in his. He smiles even brighter and then pulls her towards their shared space. When they’re inside, he locks the door and walks towards the middle of the room, where his bed is laid out. He sits down and pats the spot next to him, still smiling.

“Let’s talk, darling one.”

Mic sits down on the bed, keeping a slight distance between her and Jaal. He frowns at that.

“Darling one, what is wrong?”

Mic frowns and shakes her head, before whispering, “You must be annoyed with my fluctuating manner...”

“Not at all, just … curious. And worried.” She looks up at him expectantly. “What is wrong, Miraen?”

She fiddles with her hands for a few moments and Jaal puts his own on hers to calm them. She looks up at him and sighs.

“I’m being full of shit...”

Jaal chuckles, “Possibly,” she frowns slightly at him and he chuckles, “But I doubt it. Now, please taasharay, tell me what is wrong?”

Mic takes a deep breath and looks away from him, “I’m… conflicted...” 

Jaal looks worriedly at her, “Are you … conflicted about how you feel about me?”

“No! No, no, no. Not at all,” she leans into him, grabs his hand and smiles, “I adore you. I really do,” she looks down for a moment, “I’m… just unsure of what to do now. I don’t know … what’s expected or how I should respond or how you would react to some of my actions or what comes next and it’s just … a little confusing...” She looks shyly at him.

He smiles at her and draws her closer to him, placing a kiss on her forehead, “I told you at my home that we can take this slowly, Miraen.”

“Yeah, you did… But… that kind of implies that there are some things that needs to happen...” She looks expectantly at him.

He frowns slightly, looking past her at her table with the small plant still on the table. It’s wilting a bit, mostly because Jaal forgot to take care of it while Mic was on the Nexus. He shakes his head to focus on Mic sitting in front of him. He brings her hands to his lips and kisses them softly, before smiling at her.

“What usually happens when two humans start a relationship?” He asks.

Mic takes a breath, “Well, there is usually a period of dating, where the two people get to know each other more intimately. Some people never move past that, just living together and building a life together. Most people get engaged and then get married, where they promise to stay together forever and to not cheat on each other. Then they just … stay together until death do them part… or something else.”

“So… we’re in the dating stage now?” Jaal asks and this makes Mic chuckle.

“Yeah, I guess we are...”

“So we get to know each other… Intimately,” he adds the last word with a strange lilt in his voice and this makes Mic giggle.

“Okay… But then what?”

Jaal pulls her closer and she lets him, nestling into his side. For a moment, she takes a deep breath and inhales his scent, basking in how wonderful it smells and how peaceful it makes her feel. Then she looks expectantly up at him.

Jaal smiles at her, “Well, in my culture, when two bonded souls have found each other again, they present themselves to their families and are embraced by the family. Then they decide which family to join and they are adopted by the family as a new couple.”

“And we already did the first part.”

“Yes.”

“So now all that’s left is to join a family… Well, I don’t really have one, so…” 

“And my family already considers you as one of their own.”

Mic looks up at him, “Really?” He nods. “So quickly?”

He chuckles, “Of course. You are a remarkable woman, Miraen. And you’ve done great things for our family.”

“Oh yeah? Like what?” Mic looks disbelieving at him.

Jaal smiles, “Well, you’re my taasharay, for one, which brings the family joy,” he nuzzles her hair and she giggles. His heart swells at the sound, wondering what else he can do to elicit that reaction from her. “You’ve saved Vela, who is a good friend of our family and you took care of Lathoul when Teviint shot him. Also, you were there to help get my siblings back when you were still injured,” he places a soothing hand on her side, just next to her tender ribs, “Which is extraordinary … and very foolish.” 

He places a tender kiss on her temple and she huffs before saying, “Well, I couldn’t really say no to you...”

“You should! Especially when it could put you in danger!” He bursts out and Mic looks worriedly at him. He calms down quickly though and places another peck on her temple. “I would never forgive myself for putting you in harm’s way… And I’m never forgiving myself for asking you to go with me while you were still recovering. That was very stupid of me,” he says as he looks to the side and shakes his head.

“Jaal,” she puts a hand on his cheek and forces him to look directly at her, “It was my choice to go. And besides, Sara gave me her permission to go and I wanted to help. There was no stopping me.”

Jaal smiles, “Just like when you jumped off of the cliff?”

“Exactly… Wait, which time?”

He chuckles as he pulls her closer and hugs her tightly. “You’re … strange.” He hugs her even tighter, which makes her yelp and he immediately lets go. “And we should take care of that again.”

Mic smiles, but shakes her head, “Not before we talk about everything… “

And then they do. They talk in more detail about how relationships work in each of their cultures and how they would integrate the different ideas into their own relationship. Mic explains to him her different boundaries and why she has them, which elicits a few variations of the words ‘But you’re my taasharay and I am yours. We don’t need to do that/You don’t need to feel that way’ from Jaal, to which Mic explains to him how she still has to get accustomed to the whole situation and wrap her head around it. In turn he explains to her the different traditions regarding taasharay and how the angara would treat them from now on.

“Many of the angara won’t be happy about us,” he sighs after a while.

Mic hums in agreement, before squeezing his hand and smiling up at him, “I faced the wrath of my family for someone I cared for. I will face the entire galaxy for you.”

Jaal inhales sharply at her words, before grabbing her hands and squeezing them. Mic stares at Jaal, entirely dumbfounded at his reaction, but she doesn’t have time to process it, before Jaal places a tender kiss on her lips. She squeaks at the sudden kiss, before melting into Jaal, leaning towards him. 

After a few moments, Jaal lets her go and looks down at her, “You are wonderful, Miraen.”

“What did I do now?” she asks with a chuckle.

Jaal smiles as he pulls her close and presses her to his chest, “ I would not let you face the galaxy alone, my darling.”

“Oh,” is all Mic says as she places her head on his chest.

“But the angara would not object long to us. No one questions the bond,” Jaal says, placing a kiss on Mic’s forehead.

Mic blushes as she buries her face deeper into his chest.

**Author's Note:**

> This is my very first fic ... Ever. So be patient with me. I have a tendency to insert myself in games, movies, etc., whenever I don't fully agree with the main characters' decisions or I don't relate to my OC's, so that is where the inspiration for this came.
> 
> Mic is supposed to be an INTJ character, very bad with feelings and always seeming rude and cold. I hope I succeeded in that, but I have a feeling I failed. Meh...
> 
> This will be updated randomly, since I'm still studying and get distracted easily. 
> 
> Strap in for a long ride, I plan on doing the entire game, or at least as much of it as I can remember, as well as an epilogue. This will also have very long chapters, since I try to get in as much as possible. I try to cut them off at important parts or just when things are getting too long.
> 
> I'd appreciate some criticism, since I hope to write my own novel one day.
> 
> Enjoy :)


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